If you dream of buying a home in a rural area, you will probably find properties that get water from a well. There are important things to understand and check before you go ahead with a purchase.
Consider the Type and Location of the Well
You should only buy a house with a drilled well. A dug or bored well may not be reliable, and there is a higher risk of water contamination.
The well should be uphill or on level ground to avoid having contaminants flow into the water supply. Make sure the well and the septic system are at least 100 feet apart. If they are too close together, a septic leak could contaminate your drinking water.
Find out the age of the well. Consult a professional about the expected lifespan of the well and any repairs that might be needed in the coming years. Take those future costs into account when deciding whether to buy the house.
Check Water Quality and Quantity
If a house gets its water from a municipal source, the quality and quantity are maintained and controlled. That is not the case with a well. Before you buy a house with a well, you need to make sure it will be able to provide clean water in sufficient quantities to meet your family’s needs.
Ask your real estate agent and/or the Environmental Protection Agency about any known problems with the water supply in the area. Contamination from a factory, mine, or environmental accident can affect the quality of water in a large area for years.
Even if you have not been informed of a specific problem in the area, you should have the well water tested as part of a routine pre-purchase inspection. A professional should take a water sample and have it analyzed by a lab to make sure that minerals, volatile organic compounds, and radon are within safe levels. Request a copy of the report and discuss it with a professional who can explain any anomalies that are cause for concern. Unsafe levels of certain materials in well water may be able to be lowered by using filters.
You should have the quantity of water checked, especially if you have a large family or you use a lot of water for lawn maintenance and gardening. States set guidelines for the number of gallons of water a well needs to supply per minute. If the well does not currently supply enough water to meet your family’s needs, you might be able to make it work by drilling a new well or by using hydrofracking to widen the well.
Do Your Due Diligence
If you are considering a house with a well, have the water tested and talk to experts about any concerns before you make a purchase. Accuracy Plus Home Inspections can help home buyers in Connecticut make informed decisions. Contact us today to schedule an additional water quality testing so you can choose your new home with confidence.