Home wells require special monitoring

Q. I found a house with my Realtor. It is in a neighborhood, not a ranch or farm. The only difference from other homes we looked at is that this house uses a well. It has city sewer, which I think is good. I have never lived in a house with a well for water. What do you think?

A. Your question is timely because we recently had National Groundwater Awareness Week. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) most recent census survey, more than 13 million households rely on private wells for drinking water in the United States. So it isn’t as unusual as you think.

One thing you probably realize is that you will save money, because you won’t have a water bill. If the well pumps enough water, you can use as much as you want for irrigation and other needs.

Everyone, especially well owners, should become “groundwater protectors” by taking steps to conserve and protect the resource. The EPA says homeowners could benefit from testing private wells annually for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH levels.

Before you buy the house, have the well tested for how much water it pumps a minute. Ask the current homeowner how the well performed during all seasons and how much water it pumped during the drought.

The next thing to inspect is the quality of the water. Most people with a well use a water softener because well water is often hard.

The last two houses I lived in were on a ranch, and we had well water. In the last place, the well pumped enough water. But after we lived there for a short time, the water became so salty that we couldn’t filter it out. We had a separate storage tank on the property and paid to have water trucked in and put in the storage tank. A storage tank is a good idea, because you won’t have any water if the well dries up. So goes saving money on water.

You should contact the local health department to find out what substances might be common in your area’s groundwater. You may want to test more than once a year if small children or older adults live in the property, or if someone in the house is pregnant or nursing.

You should also test your well immediately if:

• There are known problems with groundwater drinking in your area.
• Conditions near your well have changed significantly (i.e. flooding, land disturbances, new construction or industrial activity).
• You replace or repair any part of your well system.
• You notice a change in your water quality (i.e. odor, color, taste).

You said the house is in a subdivision, so you could be luckier than me if something goes wrong with the well. Look into whether there is city water nearby that you could hook into and how much that would cost if something goes wrong or if you just decide you want city water.

Send your question and look for your answer in a future column. Email Lynne@LynneFrench.com. French is the broker/owner of Windermere Lynne French & Associates. Contact her at 672-8787 or stop in at 6200 Center St., Clayton.