If you are a homeowner or renter with well water coming out of your taps, you should be testing your water regularly. If you are a renter, typically your landlord has the responsibility of testing the well water supplying your place of residence to make sure that the drinking water provided meets safe drinking water standards. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure the quality of their well’s water. Why does well water need to be regularly tested? Both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommend regular water testing for water that is drawn from well sources. The reason for this is that wells are not treated by city water treatment facilities and without regular quality checks, contamination can easily go unnoticed. Wondering what the benefits of testing your well water are? Here are five major benefits of well water testing.
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Catching Water Contamination Early
Having a clean water supply is vital to the health of everyone in your household, including your pets. The severity of water contamination can vary depending on the contaminant, but suffice it to say, this can be extremely dangerous—this is especially the case for children, pregnant women, and the immunocompromised.
There are a host of health consequences with varying degrees of severity. From gastrointestinal issues to chemical exposure and cancer risk, a compromised well can seriously impact the health and wellbeing of everyone in your household.
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Safety of You and Yours: Protecting Your Family’s Health
When you catch water contamination early, you take a large step toward safeguarding the health of your household. Catching and addressing any issues with your water quality early can make a big difference and limit exposure to any toxins that may be present in your well water.
Identifying the hidden danger that might be lurking in your well’s water supply can protect your family’s wellbeing as the presence of heavy metals (things like arsenic and lead) or bacteria (Salmonella, E. coli, etc.) can have serious health consequences. We cannot stress how important early detection is when it comes to minimizing health impacts.
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Ability to Address and Improve Your Water Quality
Testing your well water will give you a good baseline for improving your home’s water quality. Maybe your water is hard, and you want to know what minerals are most prevalent in addressing the best way to improve your water’s taste.
Depending on what your water analysis reveals, you can choose an appropriate course of action whether that means installing a water softener or filter or consulting a professional to address any serious concerns about the safety of your home’s water supply. Without testing your water, there is no way to know its quality.
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Peace of Mind
Having the quality of your well water assessed will provide you with peace of mind. As mentioned above, the water supplying your well is not treated or monitored by the city or your local municipality.
Depending on the location and construction of your well, your water could have increased exposure to certain contaminants — this is especially the case if your property is in a flood zone (in the event of a flood, it is recommended that you immediately test your water.
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Demonstrating the Quality of Your Water Supply
Lastly, if you are appraising your property value or considering selling or dividing your land, you will want to demonstrate that the well on the property has good water. A clean water source on any property is a great asset to have and will boost the value of your land. For many buyers, the availability of clean water is an important consideration when purchasing land.
Are you looking for water testing services in Northern Virginia? Joiner Micro Laboratories is a state-certified water testing lab based out of Warrenton, Virginia with years of experience in testing water and analyzing results. Contact us to schedule well water testing today!