The water sample was taken from the bathroom sink on the Southside. This was to avoid a potential false reading of bacteria which can grow in a swivel faucet typical to a kitchen. The water appears without bacteria, e.g. E-coli or coliform, because no discoloration or florescence was observed after test nutrients were added. Other contaminants may or may not be present e.g. nitrates, boron, etc. which could pose risks to health and safety, but such testing is beyond our scope and capacity. A qualified specialist, e.g. licensed water testing lab/technician is recommended for more complete further testing as needed.
The home has a house hold use only well with the pressure tank located in the utility room. The well is approximately 400 feet deep. The well head is located just off of the front porch. The well head is slightly above the surrounding area and could be prone to surface drainage. Consider contacting a professional well installer for further evaluation.
In reading the article on Private Water Wells, the use of a driven point to drill a well is a unique way of installing a well. In my home state of Colorado that would not be a very efficient way of drilling a well due to the rocks. However my Dad said that when they lived in northern Idaho it was common place.
I attached an image of a well cap. The well cap appears to be the correct distance from the ground but it appears as if it may be closer than three feet from the building which is not allowed. This would require an accurate measurement prior to being documented as a defect in the report.
I reviewed an image that described a drilled well installation. A drilled well could have a diameter of 4-6 inches and could extend from a depth of 50-900 feet. The casting of the well is only required down to the bedrock.
All well casings require a well cap. This will help keep contaminants, pollution, pesticides, insects, and bacteria out of the well. If the well cap is properly sealed it will help prevent any contaminants from getting in to the household water supply.
I chose “Water Quality Testing.” To do an accurate water sample test, it is appropriate to remove any mesh screen or adapter at the end of the faucet before collecting a sample. Also, choose a faucet that does not swivel as they are more prone to holding bacteria.
The image that I have attached depicts an in-ground water well. This well has a secure cap, has graded ground that slopes away from the well, and appears to have proper setbacks away from electrical lines, grave yards, property borders, and contaminants.
For my essay I am using an image illustration from the InterNachi Illustration Gallery titled “Dug Wells”. This illustration depicts two types of dug wells. One type is constructed of concrete casting and the second type is constructed of stone casting. Though there are two types of dug wells they are almost identical save their construction material. Both have a diameter of two to three fee, are one foot minimum out of the ground, have a secure cover, have soil graded away from the well, and reach a depth of less than 30 feet.
Home water treatments are used to improve the taste of the water and to make it more safe for vulnerable individuals. The filtration system shown in the photo is a Point of Entry activated carbon filter that helps with taste and odor problems and removes metals such as copper and lead, however, it does nothing for nitrates or bacteria.
Water quality testing is a simple test to educate the homebuyer to the quality of their water supply. Testing is done to determine the presence of bacteria, metals and nitrates. The water sample is taken by the home inspector and tested at a state approved laboratory, typically within 48 hours.
There is a deep well located on this property. The wiring is unsupported and poses an electrical hazard. This can be problematic if a pipe breaks or bursts and sprays water on the electrical components and connections. It is recommended that further evaluation be made by a licensed well or electrical contractor.
This is an image of a point of entry ,whole home water filtration and softener system.This is a Kinetico system,so it does not use any electricity.This system has a pleated media filter and also uses salt to self clean the unit.
We all tend to assume that our water coming out of the tap is clean but in many cases it is not.If your water is supplied by a private well then many factors can contribute to possible polluted water.Water should be tested by a professional even if it is supplied by your city.
The article, Private Water Wells, is a very informative article. As an owner of a private water well, it is important to the health of my family that we have our well tested yearly for bacteria and harmful organisms. We should also have our well tested every few years for the presence of nitrates which could lech into our water supply from nearby agricultural land. Any consumer who has a private well, especially if the well is located near animal feed lots, cared for fields, fuel storage or industrial sites should have their well tested. The deeper the well, the less likely it is to easily get contaminated. Should your well become contaminated, if not by one of the previous reasons, but even after a storm or flood, the well should be tested for the presence of anything that can cause illness or disease. Many people do not get their water tested or even do preventative maintenance on their well until it is too late. Dont be one of those people.
When installing concrete casting for a dug well. You will need to insure that the casting joints are water tight with the top 8 ft. This will keep contaminants from entering the well and contaminating the water and make sure it is safe to drink.
This is a pic of a subersible well at home that I inspected. The water bladder and control panel was located in a shed near the home. I performed a functional flow test on the system to insure that the well could keep up.
This is a picture of a drilled well typical for our area of the state. Newly drilled wells are usually 4 or 5 inch using pvc for the outer casing. You can clearly see the electrical conduit housing the conductors which run inside the casing down to the submersible pump. The outer cap is attached and intact protecting the the interior of the well from damage and contamination. New wells should be decontaminated using chlorine bleach to flush the system. Older wells should be decontaminated whenever the pump is exchanged or service work is performed inside the well casing .
WATER SAMPLES .
The EPA recommends that residential water supplies be tested once a year. Home inspectors can easily provide this service as it does not require much time or extra equipment. Sample kits can be purchased or provided by the test lab. The water wells and municipal water supplies should be checked for E.coli , coliform bacteria as well as excess nitrates. Additional contaminates such as arsenic, radon and ph levels can also be tested for depending on local conditions.
Inspecting this well system on this home. You have two pressure tanks the tall silver on is a fiber glass pressure tank with no air value. The little blue one is a bladder pressure tank that is POE point of entry to the home.
