How Important Is It to Test Your Well Water?

How Important Is It to Test Your Well Water?

October 1, 2020

Testing your well water in Pisgah Forest, NC is vital for ensuring that your water source is safe, clean and reliable. If you rely on well water for drinking and everyday activities, you need to regularly test your water for your health and safety. Well water can quickly change composition, so monitoring its content and the effectiveness of your filtration devices is key.

What kind of tests should be performed?

Your water tests will cover a number of different compounds as well as the “overall potability” of your water supply. Here are some of the most important testing subjects:

  • Coliform bacteria: Coliform bacteria are hazardous to your health, so you’ll want to verify your well water supply is clear—or learn that it isn’t, so you can install a filtration device.
  • Ions: Sodium, sulfate, iron and manganese are some of the ions that can make your well water taste foul. If you find that your water supply has high concentrations of these ions, you can make sure your filtration system can handle them.
  • Nitrates: Nitrates interfere with the ability of human blood to carry oxygen, and can be extremely dangerous for babies under six months old. Everyone needs to know whether their water supply has dangerous levels of nitrates, but especially if you have young children in the home.
  • Fluoride: If you get too much fluoride in your water and diet, you may suffer dental problems.
  • Sulfates: Sulfates cause gastrointestinal distress, including severe diarrhea—naturally, you’ll want to make sure you aren’t setting yourself up for everyday illness.
  • Total dissolved solids: Finally, the total dissolved solids in your water can contribute to unpleasant tastes and odors. Once you have your water tested, you’ll have a better understanding of how to treat it.

If you live in an area with high concentrations of arsenic, uranium or selenium, you should also have your water tested for these compounds.

How often should my water be tested?

As you can see, it’s extremely important to your health and wellness—as well as your enjoyment of fresh, clean well water—to have your well tested at least once per year. The quality of well water can change over time, so you need to have it done regularly. In fact, the shallower your well, the more likely it will be contaminated.

Make sure you have your well water tested both at the source and at the tap. If you have filtration devices installed, that will provide a good look into how they’re performing versus what the water content is like from the source. The importance of well water testing in Pisgah Forest, NC cannot be overstated.

Now that you understand the importance of well water testing, you’ll be pleased to hear that Royal Water Works, Inc. provides well water testing in the Pisgah Forest, NC area. When you need to schedule your annual water testing appointment, give us a call. Our team is backed by a certified and experienced microbiology lab. We look forward to assisting you soon.

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