Regular well water testing is critical to ensuring your family has clean water for drinking, bathing, and cooking. Private well owners often ask, “How often should well water be tested?” Our experts have a clear guide to help local homeowners keep their water supplies safe.
Why You Need to Test Your Well Water
Although a private water well on your property means you don’t have to pay the municipal water system for water every month, it also means less water quality monitoring. The local water company constantly monitors the public water supply for contaminants that could make you sick, like coliform bacteria, and adjusts treatments or issues alerts to customers to alert them to problems. When you have a well, you may not realize that the water contains excess bacteria, minerals, or other contaminants until they cause illness or plumbing issues.
Well water flows through natural aquifers that remove many contaminants, but even if you have a filtration system on your well, you need regular water well testing. For example, fertilizer runoff from the lawn can increase levels of nitrates in drinking water that the filtration system can’t remove. Since the water flows through rocks, it’s also important to test for contaminants like arsenic, radon, uranium, and volatile organic compounds.
When and How Often Should Water Well be Tested?
The health department recommends annual well water testing for all private wells. These tests primarily test the water samples for contaminants that can affect plumbing, like nitrate in drinking water, and confirm that your water filtration system is working. A more in-depth test to identify contaminants that can harm health is necessary every three to five years.
More frequent well water testing is in order in certain circumstances.
Buying a New Home
You’re buying a home with a private water well.
Family Changes
If anyone in your home is pregnant, you have an infant, or your family has an ongoing gastrointestinal illness, test the water for high levels of bacteria and viruses.
Problems with the Water
If you notice changes to the smell, taste, or appearance of the water, or if the water suddenly starts leaving stains on dishes, fixtures, or clothing.
After a Major Storm
Natural disasters like hurricanes or a flood can contaminate your water supply.
Well or Septic Issues
Any time there’s a problem with the well or septic system, especially leaks, or if there is a chemical spill or leak on your property.
Nearby Construction
Construction, earthwork, or industrial activity close to your home can introduce contaminants to the water supply, so test the water more often.
Trust Southwest Florida Service and Supply for Clean Water
At Southwest Florida Service and Supply, we proudly help local homeowners maintain their private wells with comprehensive well water testing services. We send water samples for comprehensive laboratory analysis, then recommend the perfect filtration system to ensure the highest-quality water for your family. Call us today at (239) 657-2429 or contact us online to learn more about our well maintenance and repair solutions.