Today’s inquiry came to us from ‘Mandy’ who had concerns about the quality of her well water. She asked, “I am very concerned about our well water. I would like to know what test you
recommend for testing my water. Thanks”
Good evening, Mandy, and thank you for contacting us about your well water concerns. As for what you may want to consider testing for, that all depends on the exact nature of your concerns as well as several factors which include:
1) Proximity of well head and well to septic systems and septic system components (i.e. tanks, drain lines, leach fields, etc.). Possible contaminants include: Bacteria, Nitrates, Nitrites.
2) Proximity of well head and well to agricultural activities (i.e. farming, raising of animals, etc.). Possible contaminants include: Bacteria, Nitrates, Nitrites, Pesticides.
3) Proximity of well head and well to industrial activities (i.e. machine shops, manufacturing, any process that uses chemical solvents). Possible contaminants include a HUGE for the imagination to comprehend. Identifying the types of industries in your area will help you determine what sorts of chemical compounds and solvents your well water may contain. Note: Testing for most of the contaminants from industrial processes will more than likely require the services of a water testing laboratory.
4) What sort of naturally occurring minerals and compounds exist in the ground where your well draws its water from? as an example, does the ground contain high levels of things like Iron, Copper, Arsenic, Hydrogen Sulfide, etc.?
By no stretch of the imagination have we touched on all the possible drinking water contaminants that could have found their way into your well water, but hopefully we have at least given you an idea of some things to consider.
Once you have pondered the above points, please feel free to contact us, again, and we will make a recommendations at that time. Testing options we offer range from very basic:
… to a lot more thorough:
… and the kits can get even more thorough. If you believe a more comprehensive test kit will fit your needs we have some listed in the National Testing Laboratories section of the Water Test Kit Store.
