Are you one of the 1.7 million Georgians that gets your water from a private well? If you are, then that means you are responsible for the quality and safety of your well water. Just because your water looks clear and tastes normal does mean it is always safe to drink. Some contaminants, such as nitrates and heavy metals, can only be discovered through laboratory testing.
Whether you’ve been drinking water from a well that’s been around for years or you’re pulling water from a newly constructed well, testing your well water quality is important to your health. Generally, properly constructed and maintained wells will provide years of trouble-free service; however, those that are not properly constructed and maintained may become compromised by surface contaminated and may eventually deteriorate or become damaged with age.
Generally, laboratory tests look for four different types of contaminants: bacteria (such as fecal coliform or E. coli), minerals (like iron, calcium, and copper), organic chemicals (pesticides or petroleum contaminants), and others (heavy metals and radiological contaminants). The basic water test (W1), total coliform/E. coli (W35), and nitrate test (W3) are recommended to be tested annually. An expanded water test (W2) is recommended to be performed initially and then once every 3 years.
Additionally, during home sale transactions, some lending institutions require drinking water be tested for certain water safety factors before mortgage approval. While UGA Extension does offer a “Home Loan Closing Test” that screens for nitrate, nitrite, lead, and microbiology, the best practice would be to communicate directly with the lending institution to be absolutely sure no other tests are required.
No single test provides information on all possible contaminants, but water quality can be determined by the right test(s). If you’re interested in getting your water tested, a great first step would be to contact your county Extension agent to discuss what concerns you may have about your water so a recommendation can be made. Additionally, some water tests may take over a week for all results to be made available, so planning to conduct water tests in advance is advised, especially when purchasing a home.
There are a couple options for where you should test your well water. If the homeowner is interested in investigating source water properties, then a sample may be collected from the wellhead. On the other hand, samples collected from a kitchen faucet would reflect the source water properties, plus any potential contamination from the well owner’s water supply system. For example, sampling at the wellhead for lead is not necessary, but sampling from the faucet for lead would indicate if lead solder was used in the plumbing. Also, it can indicate the efficiency of an existing treatment system.
Interested in learning more about well water quality and safety? Contact your local county Cooperative Extension office, local health department, or Georgia EPD for a complete list of drinking water standards. You can also find it online at https://www.epa.gov. Any testing done through UGA’s water testing laboratory will provide details on any concerns, as well as treatment options. Contact your county agent if you need any assistance interpreting your results.
