How to Test Well Water: Essential Things You Must Know for Purification

Well, how to test well water for drinking is the foremost thing to know. If you are so concerned about the safety of well water or want to know what bacteria levels are in your well, you should do some simple tests. Testing for bacteria in spring is recommended as well as testing after heavy rain or flooding events.

Most private well owners have installed meters that record the flow through their Wells. Suppose you notice any changes in the well water quality (strong oxygenated smell coming from your well, for example). Then it’s worth consulting an expert who can help make sure you are operating correctly so you can continue using it for drinking. Moreover, you can test well water at home.

Many things could influence the health of your underground well water system. “What type of bacteria does water contain? What is well water testing cost in the market? How to test well water at home?” are some of the essential questions that are best answered by consulting a competent water well expert.

For more details, keep pursuing how to test well article below:

Water testing is necessary for drinking quality!

Testing well water is essential whether you are using a private well or a municipal well water system. You can test your well using a simple hand-held device known as a “Piher” or “Water Quest“

You insert a sample of your well water into the device and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.

If growth has taken place but no longer any sediment present in the well then it is safe to assume that harmful bacteria are not present in the water and that you are well is free of contamination.

Also, check our in-depth reviews and guide for the best sediment filters for well water.

What should I test well water for?

It always recommends that you should test well water before using it for any purpose. There are many different reasons, including checking for positive results in antibiotic testing or any other illness. That type of illness could affect you if you don’t test your water.

Before you buy any services or products that require water, you also must test the well water for bacteria. This is true if you have a well that is used for winter storage or pickle jars for pickles. Getting well water tested is a necessary step for health.

You probably won’t want to drink water from a well with significant arsenic or nitrate levels. And don’t drink water from a well with chlorine levels that are greater than what is permitted by your local water department.

What about the other contaminants? Are they dangerous? Is drinking water from a well a good idea? To answer these questions, you need to know what pollutants are measured in well water and related to human health. To learn more about well water, read on.

What to test in well water?

Many contaminants are usually present in well water. These are Arsenic, Nitrate, Coliform bacteria, Sulfate, Ions, Fluoride, Volatile Organic Compounds, Lead, and Agricultural Chemicals. Drinking this water can cause health problems for people who have weakened immune systems.

Here is some most common and severe contaminant in well water with their health hazard as follows:

o  Coliform bacteria

Coliform bacteria count in water is an essential measure of well water quality. Coliform bacteria are usually small creatures, but they can be pretty large when they multiply and breed.

This type of bacteria can be found in many places, including well water supplies and soil.

o  Ions and Nitrate

Ions Chloride, sodium, iron, and manganese are all common ions found in wells. These are affecting the taste of water, but when ingested, they may cause health problems.

Nitrate contamination is hazardous when consumed by babies and infants. Also, check our reviews and guide for the best iron filtration systems.

o  Chemicals Used in Agriculture

If your home is near a rural environmental farming area, herbicides, pesticides, and agricultural fertilizers may end up in your water.

These chemicals may have an impact on your overall health, causing problems even when absorbed in small amounts.

o  Arsenic and Fluoride

Arsenic is a phenolic compound found in water that can cause cancer, heart disease, diabetes, brain development defects, or other health problems and therefore, it should be removed from the water.

Filtration of fluoride from well water is also important as if it is present at a significant level, it may lead to severe health issues related to bones and teeth, particularly in children and adolescents.

o Organic Compounds and Lead

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, can cause a variety of harmful health effects, including impaired immune system function, increased cancer risk, as well as liver damage.

Lead is a heavy metal found most commonly, but it can also enter well water from factories.

Harmful water infections and health risks

Every year, many retailers install new filters in domestic hot water systems to reduce drinking water contamination. These contaminants cause many infectious bacteria like fever, diarrhea, cramps, headaches, vomiting, nausea, and fatigue.

The best way to test well water is to buy a kit from the store to test contaminants. The results will alert you to whether or not your well water needs to try in the future and what test methods should use.

The risk of contracting bacteria from drinking water systems is somewhat higher in individuals who live in hot, humid regions or have a compromised immune system. There are several ways to eliminate this risk.

The preventive measure that should be taken most often is eating fruits and vegetables from areas where bacteria and other contaminants are not present.

Get rid of water contaminants and what to test for in well water

o Chlorine injection system

Chlorination is an excellent thing, it kills germs, prevents diseases, and keeps water clean. It’s also something that the government recommends for everyone because it creates safer water for everyone to drink. Chlorination can be very effective in removing disease-causing microorganisms from drinking water.

How to test well water at home is not a tricky question anymore. It can be done using a chlorine injection system for well. It seems to be a simple task, but it does require some technical knowledge.

Chlorination can be done at home using household supplies and commercial products as well. It can be effective at removing organic contaminants from drinking water.

If you’re very concerned about getting the drinking water clean and safe from the well supplies and would like to save money by using chlorination instead of running the free well water, then you can get a kit to install indoor chlorination in your home or small business.

Kits install chlorine throughout your home or business to kill off harmful germs, bacteria, viruses, and parasites that pose a threat to health.

o UV light treatment

The use of ultraviolet light to disinfect well water sources has been around for many years. In 1948, U.S. Congress passed the Public Health Service Act, which authorized the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

All these departments give individuals or private organizations grants to develop, offer, or furnish devices, equipment, or means for efficient poop removal. Since then, various studies conducted to determine the best method of removing protozoa, bacteria, viruses, and other organisms from well water supplies.

The best way to remove intestinal bacteria is through a well water filtration system that relies on ultraviolet light sources. These sources can both kill bacteria and enable the absorption of essential nutrients.

Still, they are also harmful to human sensory systems such as the eyes and skin. Several disinfectants are available today that can use to sterilize well water sources. To be on the safe side, opt for one that employs UV light filtration.

What are other well water quality indicators?

Well water quality indicators indicate the presence (or lack) of microscopic organisms in well water. Various well water quality indicators can help you determine whether a water supply is safe for drinking.

Bad well water can cause a wide range of problems, some serious. It can make you sick, create an unsafe environment or cause property damage. There are three leading water check indicators:

• Total coliform bacteria (TCU),
• Total nitrates (NTU),
• Total dissolved oxygen (DCO).

These are indicators that illustrate how healthy your well water is, regardless of its source.

Total coliform bacteria are usually found in well waters that are warm and muddy from rain or runoff from harvested crops. When swimming or bathing in such waters, look for visible particles such as dirt or algae.

Count the number of organisms per milliliter of water (and compare that number against dogs or people per square meter of land). A coliform count alone may miss some harmful microorganisms.

There are other well water quality indicators:

• Total Coliform counts,
• Microbial numbers,
• Bacteria/fecal pellets.

Total coliform counts are the number of bacteria or fungi in the water, microbial numbers are the estimated number of microbes per liter while the bacterial pellets are debris pulled up from the pond or lake bottom by fish and fish-eating birds.

Check Contaminants in well water

You need to check well water contaminants every year. To test the quality of your well water, you should boil it for three minutes and then check the consumption level of pollutants.

This signal should be considered with any other symptoms you may have experienced, such as neck pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever after drinking water from the tap.

For example, you should not drive a car or use a kerosene heater if you have recently eaten anything that could make you sick.

Test your well water with a kit

Now, the testing of the well water entering the whole house supplies can be done by using a well water test kit. Well water testing kits are a simple and cost-effective method to determine the presence or absence of harmful bacteria in water systems.

A well water test kit can detect E.coli bacteria at deficient levels, with potentially fatal consequences when used correctly.

In addition to these products, AthenAID has developed a Well Water Testing Kit for $49. Water testing kits for E.coli bacteria are available online, often for as little as $15.00.

You can purchase water testing kits through major retailers or online vendors, Varify 17-in-1 water test kit is recommended for precise testing results.

Well water testing kit helps do the following:

1. Confirmation of the E.coli presence in a drinking water source;
2. Identifying the types of chemical additives used in the water preparation (e.g., chlorine/carbon dioxide treatment); and
3. Confirmation of methanogens in drinking water

âœ”ï¸ Get my well water tested by contacting the laboratory

Where I can get my well water tested is one of the big questions in mind for many people. To find out whether well water is safe to drink, you should contact an accredited laboratory. A certified laboratory has generally met accepted federal or state standards for testing drinking water for contaminants.

Contacting an accredited laboratory can be as simple as calling to ask about the services they provide or writing an order for testing supplies in advance of your trip.

Most labs will test for lead, chromium, nitrates, and bacteria at slightly different levels to determine. You just how well your well water is filtering through your plumbing system and will send you the results as soon as possible.

An accredited laboratory that has met specific training and educational requirements to perform testing under controlled conditions. Well, water that lacks chlorine adds to the risk of illness caused by drinking it.

A positive result from any bacterial or protozoan means your water source may be unhealthy; a negative result means it’s safe for drinking.

I recommend Tap Score as the best lab for testing well water for bacteria.

How to test your well water at home?

Bacteria in well water can cause damage to homes and also contaminate water that a family uses for drinking and bathing.

To start, allow your well to drain completely. Next, place a few sheets of paper towel under the bottom layer of well water and soak up any bubbles or dirt. Any home test kit gives you a reading that tells you how many contaminants there are in your water and how many toxins are present.

Let’s test your well water free at home easily. If there is no additional growth, then your well is safe to drink from. Moreover, suppose you notice bubbles or dirt building up on the paper towel, more than likely. In that case, there are bacteria in your well, and it needs to remove.

What if the water fluid takes on a more pungent smell after adding the paper towel? Or if you see white or black particles forming on the surface of the well water – then you need to send it back for testing.

Understand Test Results for Well Water contaminants

There are various home test kits available for consumers and professionals. What creates a good test strip is an educated reading of results.

10% of people who develop water-related illnesses will develop additional health problems due to their contamination levels. And 20% of the general population will need further medical treatment due to their exposure to these chemicals.

You can easily match all color ranges with the watercolor and note it down on the chart. It tells you approximately to what level the contaminants are present in the water. Furthermore, you can also use the chlorine testing kits made by Well Water Analytical Agency Inc as they are easily available.

They may be purchased for as little as $30.00 through research online or directly from their office. The kits are made up of six different test strips which are placed onto a special plate underneath a microscope making them highly effective for your use.

Frequently Asked Questions