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Water And Radon Testing Recommendations
Test the air for radon and test the well water prior to listing the property because: Nearly all buyers will direct a home inspector to perform these tests. Many health-related drinking water standards have recently changed. A "good" test from ten years ago may not be "good" today.Well water can change. Road work, a new well on adjacent property and other factors can cause the well water to change. Again, a test result from a few years ago is not a valid indicator of current well water quality.Identifying problems early means the seller can research solutions carefully and fix them prior to listing OR prepare to negotiate with a buyer to resolve the issue.
Testing recommendations
- Top priority: At the very least, the well owner should perform the following tests because most buyers have these tested as part of the home inspection. The home owner can draw the samples for these tests. Test kits are available through Air & Water Quality, as well as through a number of labs in Maine.
- Set A water test (also known as a "standard mortgage" test), includes Bacteria, Nitrites/Nitrates, Hardness, pH, Iron, Manganese, Copper, Chloride & Arsenic
- First draw lead test
- Radon air test
- Secondary priority: Many buyers test the well water for uranium and radon in addition to the above.
Preparing the well for testing
All wells:
- Remove the well cap and remove roots, insect nests, spider webs etc. from the well if present. If these are present, sanitize the well prior to testing.
- The day before the test samples are to be taken, run cold water out of all the spigots, inside and outside, until new / fresh water is in all of the pipes. This will help avoid a high lead test result. Note that the water needs to sit in the pipes for at least 6 and no more than 24 hours prior to a "first draw" lead test in order for the test to be valid.
Wells in unoccupied houses: Run approximately 200 to 300 gallons from the well for 4 days. This will ensure that the well volume has been turned over and that the long-standing water has been purged. Then perform 1 & 2 outlined in "all wells" above.