Yet another well question.

manfred · #1 07/06/08, 08:52 PM

I've never had my well tested, at least not in 10 years. Should I worry or if I drink it every day, it tastes great, and I, we , don't get sick must be OK, right?
How often do you folks get your well tested and why?

Beeman · #2 07/06/08, 11:07 PM

When I had a well I never had it tested. I'm not on a well now but if you research my previous post about wells I think I would be doing it. Much depends on where you live and what the ground is like.

Shawna · #3 07/07/08, 07:12 AM

We had ours tested when we bought the place (almost 2 years ago). Our water tasted great too. However, we found out we had lead and either nitrites or nitrates (don't remember which) in the water. We ended up putting in a reverse osmosis system in for drinking water.

The water we had in our previous place tasted horrific (smelled bad too!). It was rural water....go figure.

Good luck!
Shawna

littlebitfarm · #4 07/07/08, 08:48 AM

Our local health department recommend testing every 6 months. Seems like overkill to me. Wouldn't hurt to get it tested, just to see. Obviously your body is accustomed to whatever is in it. That doesn't mean your guests may not have a problem.

I've tested wells that people have been drinking for years. I wouldn't let my dog drink that water. But the people had no problem with it.

Wouldn't hurt to do it just to find out where you stand. A basic bacteria test should run you under $20.

Kathie

MoonShine · #5 07/08/08, 01:05 AM

Huh, I don't think the well here has ever been tested. I never thought much about it. I've been drinking from this well my entire life and I'm fine. I knew some people that had their's tested and it showed up as having E. Coli, they said.

If the test is just $20 or so, having it tested wouldn't hurt anything.

EDDIE BUCK · #6 07/08/08, 01:22 AM

The place where I was raised had never been tested,we had no problems. The place we live now never been tested an we still around (ten years) Im gunna keep drinking it till either it loses its taste,well goes dry or the Lord calls me home, which ever comes first.

Beltane · #7 07/08/08, 04:31 AM

We test ours every two years or so for MTBE (but the test is expensive).

sheepish · #8 07/08/08, 05:17 AM

You may not have problems with your well, but others might. Do you have visitors who are very young or very old, or who have health problems. They might get sick on a well that doesn't trouble you. If you have nitrates or heavy metal problems, the difficulty may be cumulative, so while you don't get sick now, you may down the road.

**fordson major** · #9 07/08/08, 05:43 AM

we test every 3 months or after an "event", work done on the well or plumbing system or an earth quake etc.. in 38 years only one bad test! we do look after other peoples animals, so like to ensure the water is safe! here the tests are free but would still keep to our testing regimen if cost were involved. google "walkerton ontario" for an incite into bad well water. has brought us a passel of new farming and water /waste water regs.

**Cabin Fever** · #10 07/09/08, 01:03 PM

If you do plan on having your well water tested, I would suggest that you "shock" your well and plumbing system before you take the sample.

manfred · #11 07/09/08, 02:58 PM

Cabin Fever, if I shock my well before testing I am afraid I will think that maybe after a time my well water may get bad because of some pollutants and I will be in the same shape I am in now. IE, wondering if my water is safe.
Am I looking at this wrong?

**Cabin Fever** · #12 07/09/08, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manfred

Cabin Fever, if I shock my well before testing I am afraid I will think that maybe after a time my well water may get bad because of some pollutants and I will be in the same shape I am in now. IE, wondering if my water is safe.
Am I looking at this wrong?

Shocking your well will remove any bacteria that are growing in your plumbing system....not in your water supply. If your aquifer is contaminated with coliform, you'll still get a positive test result for these after shocking the water system.

What often happens is people will take a water sample. The analysis comes back positive for total coliform bacteria. The lab tells them to disinfect the plumbing system and take another sample for analysis. If the second sample is still positive, then it is reasonable to conclude that the aquifer is impacted by bacteria. If the second sample comes back negative, one concludes that the original coliform result was due to bacteria living in the plumbing system (and not the water supply).

manfred · #13 07/12/08, 11:47 AM

I understand now ,thank you Cabin Fever.