Why Have Your Home's Well Water Tested Regularly?
If you've recently installed a new well or have a very strong filtration system for your home's well, you may not think you need to have the water tested regularly. A new well is not likely to fail and allow contaminants to seep in through a broken cap or pump as much as an older well, and a strong filter can clean out many contaminants from your water. However, even with a newer well and no matter the type of filtration system you choose, it's still good to have the well water tested on a regular basis. Note why this is and what water testing can tell you so you keep your home's water safe.
1. Outside contaminants
You may have chosen a type of filter for your well water based on your land conditions, but outside contaminants can easily seep into your home's well water and be too strong for that filter. Common sources of nitrate and bacteria include leaking sewer lines, pesticides, fertilizers, septic tanks, and animal waste. If a nearby resident had a leaking septic system or a farm started using a stronger pesticide than your current filter could manage, this can easily contaminate your home's well water. However, no one may have informed you of this change that could affect your well water! By having your home's water checked on a regular basis, you can know if outside, unknown contaminants are cause for changing the filter or having the water treated.
2. Strength of filter
Filtration systems will often tell you when the filter should be changed so that it is working properly, but if your well water has too many contaminants or something has leaked into the water, your filter's strength could be degrading much faster than you expect. A manufacturer may also be giving an expected lifespan of a filter based on a best-case scenario, considering only minimal contaminants.
If you have the well water tested regularly, you can note the efficiency of the filtration system you're using over time. If you see a pattern of certain contaminants building in your water, you may realize that you need to upgrade to a stronger filter or need to change it more often than you expected, as it's failing sooner than you assumed. You may also know when to change the filter based on its actual performance in cleaning your home's well water, and not on the manufacturer's standards alone.