Although some well water problems pose a greater risk than others, it’s important to have your residential well tested any time you feel a cause for concern.
Some specific events call for immediate testing, however, to ensure the continued safety of your family’s water supply. Other conditions warrant a higher frequency of periodic testing and the close monitoring of test results.
Always Test Your Well Water Immediately If:
- You have recently had your well serviced or worked on.
- Your wellhead has recently been flooded or submerged.
- Any incident of back-siphoning has taken place.
- Pesticides have been spilled, mixed or used near the well.
- A fuel or oil tank near the well has leaked.
- Anyone in the household is pregnant.
- Staining suddenly occurs on laundry or plumbing fixtures.
- A nearby septic tank’s effluent has reached the soil surface.
- Your water suddenly develops an unusual or unpleasant odor, taste or appearance.
Test At Least Twice Each Year If:
- Any septic leach field is located within 100 feet of your well.
- You have children in the home younger than a year old.
- A previous test indicated that the maximum safe constituent levels had been met or exceeded.
- You have ongoing problems with your water’s smell, taste or appearance.
- You live near red flag sites such as landfills, mines, factories, gas stations, pharmaceutical manufacturers, dry cleaners, gas drilling or fracking locations.
Always Test for These Common Drinking Water Pollutants:
- Arsenic
- Lead
- Nitrates/Nitrites
- Coliform Bacteria
- pH
- Every five years, have a full analysis performed of your water’s chemistry, along with your periodic testing.
Other Tests to Consider
If you experience problems with your well water that are not explained by routine testing, consider testing for these substances:
- Iron
- Zinc
- Copper
- Sulfates and detergents
- Fluoride
- Iron Bacteria
- Manganese
- Chloride
- VOCs
- Sodium
- Hydrogen Sulfide
Remember that not all of these elements are harmful, unless present at sufficiently high levels.
The Importance of Annual Well Water Testing
The obvious reason to have your well tested annually is to catch any problems that may be developing. That’s obviously important, but it’s not the only reason.
Annual tests provide historic data of your water’s quality. If a problem does occur at some point in the future, an analysis of your history may provide important clues as to how the problem came about.
Be sure to keep copies of every test you have done. Keep a hard copy in a binder or file folder, but scan them first so you have an electronic file as well. That way, if the binder should become lost or damaged, you’ll still have these critical records.
If you have questions or concerns about the quality of your residential or commercial well water, contact the Mike Zimmerman Well Service team. We serve customers in Utah and Wyoming, and our first priority is the safety and reliability of your water.
The testing process can be confusing and overwhelming, especially if you believe you have cause for concern. Contact us today for help with all of your well water problems.
