Spring and Well Water Analysis

[rScotty]

I'm wondering how many of us have our water tested and if so what you find.... and then what you do about it, if anything.

I have our basic well water tested by sending a sample to the local A&M college testing lab every few years. I ask for what they call their "routine package" - which costs about $100 and looks at pH, hardness, conductivity, and about ten common chemical compounds that include fertilizer components like nitrates, chlorates, sulphates, potassium etc.

At the same time I also purchase their "individual element" analysis for about another hundred dollars which measures another 20 individual elements like iron, manganese, fluoride, copper, lead, selenium, zinc....on and on for about a total of 20 elements.

The results show that our water is pretty much average for our area. It is slightly acidic, very low in all the fertilizer compounds & nutrients, and slightly high in manganese. There is no bacteriological contamination at all.
rScotty

 

[RNeumann]

Yes we had it done. Sounds like about the same cost for similar tests. I am lucky in that my water is great- basically bottled water....minus the plastic.
I also follow the recognized guidelines and add a chlorine tab or bleach every year.
Downside is my well is 600’ - although they hit water at 200’ - it wasn’t enough.

 

[oosik]

Had my spring tested about twenty years ago. I was mainly concerned about pathogenic organisms, e-coli, fecal coliform, etc. Its definitely hard water but otherwise meets all drinking water standards. I do nothing to it except pump it into the house.

Had the spring expanded with an extend-a-hoe when we moved here in '82. Pumped it at 325 gpm for 3 1/2 days to reduce the silt, clay & sand. At the end of that 84 hours of continuous pumping the water level was within 1/4 inch of were it started.

 

[davrow]

I'm trying to find someone to test our water. I've emailed places on Yelp that are highly rated, but received no responses.

We're looking to put in a whole house filter, but want to make sure we are targeting the correct contaminants.

How do people find a reputable tester? (none of my neighbors I've talked to have tested their well water since buying their homes, where it was done as part of the inspection process and they don't know who did it - same for us)

 

[oosik]

davrow - check with your local Health Dept. They may do certain testing for free or small charge. They should certainly know who will do it if they don't.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Just want to follow this one.

 

[RNeumann]

davrow - check with your local Health Dept. They may do certain testing for free or small charge. They should certainly know who will do it if they don't.

This is how I found the local lab. BTW you typically collect the sample. They don’t come out and do the test on site. It’s all done in a lab.

 

[JimRB]

I send my samples off to Waters Agricultural Laboratories, Inc.

 

[rScotty]

Had my spring tested about twenty years ago. I was mainly concerned about pathogenic organisms, e-coli, fecal coliform, etc. Its definitely hard water but otherwise meets all drinking water standards. I do nothing to it except pump it into the house.

Had the spring expanded with an extend-a-hoe when we moved here in '82. Pumped it at 325 gpm for 3 1/2 days to reduce the silt, clay & sand. At the end of that 84 hours of continuous pumping the water level was within 1/4 inch of were it started.

WOW! That's a lot of water. Must be a big spring. What did you use to do that much pumping?
We bought our JD530 from a farmer who was using it at full throttle with a PTO-driven pump to irrigate his corn. Would that pump 325 gpm? I don't know... It had to have been expensive in fuel, though.
rScotty

 

[/pine]

Agree about the health dept...in this county they send someone out to collect the sample and it's $20...I had a well tested by a county in FL and it was $10 owner supplied the sample...

FWIW there are self test kits available via the typical merchandise sites online...

 

[oosik]

Isn't it nice to have friendly neighbors. He had an 8" diesel powered pump. It was kind of a PITA getting it down to the well site. But it was mounted on a trailer and we managed. Every hour, or there about, for 84 dam hours I went down and "surged" the well. Had a 2' x2' plywood board mounted on the end of a long 2 x 4 - UP/DOWN, UP/DOWN, repeat, repeat - stir up the sediments so the big NOISY pump would pump it out.

The water boils up so strong in the spring - you can see the upward movement and it drains out the side towards my little lake.

Some of you know that I worked for the Health Dept in Anchorage for 18 years. Intimately involved in individual well and septic systems. We would take water samples, at no charge, for home owners. Due to legal and political concerns - we were the only ones who would collect the samples.

Very, very seldom had a contaminated well. Biggest problem was extreme depth and lack of a lot of water. Average well depth was around 650' and it might produce 1.5 gpm.

 

[wngsprd]

Our county sponsored a test this summer and tested for about 25 metals, bacteria, all the other compounds...ran about $50...we filled about 5 or 6 small bottles that they provided, and took the samples to their office. They wanted some samples filled immediately in the morning after letting the water sit overnight in the pipes (looking for copper or lead) and others filled after running the water for a minute...they used Virginia Tech to do the lab work....gave very good instructions for how to deal with anything found above the federal or state limits.

 

[Gem99ultra]

We also had both of our two wells tested last year. One well, bored well, was very contaminated. The other well, a drilled well, was near contamination free. I've added about 1 gallon of Clorox to both and will retest shortly. Meantime, we've shut off the bored well for house water supply.

We picked up test packages from the County Health Dept. for free. The analysis was done by Texas A&M and cost $100 each, plus overnight shipping the sample to them. Your County Agent will be able to supply you with several reliable alternate test labs.

I've found that those $10 "test kits" you buy online are nothing more than checking TDS (Total Dissolved Solids). Low TDS makes for nice clear drinking water, but in no way ensures that the water is safe to drink.

 

[oosik]

There is a local testing lab here in Cheney. Last I checked the "standard" bacterial & chemical water test cost around $150. They can test for just about anything but at added costs. Down south 50 to 75 miles(the Palouse) the big bugg-a-boo is nitrates. Comes from over 120 years of fertilizing the wheat fields.

TDS is a cosmetic thing in drinking water. It is usually corrected by having a large storage tank and flushing the tank as needed.

 

[jclaudii]

County Health Department will give us the sample jar's and to process is 20 bucks. It only tests for harmful bacteria but lets you know you know your not drinking poop water. I had it tested a couple of times one summer as we had a snake crawl in and die down our well. For that one I used alot of bleach and ended up pulling the pump (shallow well only about 50 feet) and made a contraption "basket" to drop in and gather floating debris I could see. It was hard to do with a 4 inch casing but got it all out and when tests came back no bacteria we started using it again.

I did a google search and this site popped up, anyone ever use them?
Tap Score Advanced Well Water Test | SimpleWater Tap Score

 

[RSKY]

Friend and his wife were having stomach problems a few years ago. It all started when they moved into a new to them older house with a well. After a few trips to the doctor with constant diarrhea the doctor suggested they take a sample of their well water to the local health department. About a week later they got a call and instructions to poor a gallon of Clorox down the well pipe, I don't remember what kind of well they had. Waited a week or so then sent off another sample. Got a call to pour two gallons down the well. Waited a week or so and took in another sample. Got a call from the health department and the lady told Jeff to go get at least a dozen jugs of Clorox and to pour six down the well immediately and one a day for the next week. Don't remember exactly what he did but he got more than suggested and kept the well constantly chlorinated for more than a week. The next sample checked okay and their stomach issues went away.

Apparently what ever bacterial agent was causing their distress came from the well but had established itself in the house's water system. He later tore out all the piping and put in new PVC.

RSKY

 

[tcreeley]

Cooperative extension office provided an address to send to for water testing of our 13' dug well. Once had two skunks fall into the hand dug well. Stank! Chlorine and running the well down for a week cleared it up.

We had a 60' well dug and have plenty of good water - tastes better than bottled water. Luck of the draw!
My son has town water - hard to drink it even filtered.