Get Ready…
Set aside Saturday, 10/21/06, for some training and fun as NACHI’s Joe Farsetta comes to St. Louis.
Joe will be providing an exclusive opportunity to be among the first to become a “Certified Well Sampler”](http://www.monachi.org/?D=17) through his comprehensive seminar.
The training will begin at 8:30 a.m., following a continental breakfast and a meet and greet with Joe, and will last until 4:00 p.m.
The training will be held at the Holiday Inn Select in St. Peters, MO., where our previous meetings have been held.
As always, this training is free to all members of NACHI and $100 to all non-members, with the fee applicable toward NACHI membership if you decide to join.
Come prepared to learn and to make additional dollars by adding this much needed service to your inspections.
More news on this course…
Although there is no final word, yet, the Missouri Deparment of Health and Senior Services (who licenses inspectors for septic systems and waste water) have asked for the opportunity to review this course for possibly providing CEUs to licensees who attend. They have also suggested review by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for inclusion in their programs, as well.
Missouri shares EPA concerns for the safety of its private well water and appears anxious to have this program available.
I will be publishing, in a variety of area media, the need for this service and the benefit to Missourians who contract the services of a NACHI Certified Well Water specialist.
Hope to see you there.
Sunday’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Number of private water wells in Illinois and Missouri -
How each county handles water testing:
I would have to put well water testing in the same category as mold, a lawsuit just waiting to happen.
I wonder what E&O providers would think of such testing?
Have you looked into that James?
Dale, the best way to do this is to offer water SAMPLING, not testing. You take the samples and put them into a proper lab specimen kit, then send the water to a State Certified Lab who then provides you with the results. You are only sampling, not testing.
Dave,
I’ll rephrase the question.
I wonder what Allan Insurance Group would say if I told them I wanted to take well water samples? And send them to a lab.
This sounds to me like the amount of money such sampling would generate would not offset the amount a lawsuit could generate.
I’m not a water specialist, but I would have to guess there are thousands of possible contaminates, which might not be in the water the day of testing but could be tomorrow.
I would rather inspect a home with two Zinsco’s a FPE panel feeding the leaking pool, connected to single strand Aluminum wiring in a home with leaking galvanized pipe being heated with a non-vented gas wall heater than take a sample of their water for a few bucks, but that’s just me.
Sampling the water will be just a part of the services that could be offered. Go to www.monachi.org and click on “Certified Well Sampler” and get a look at what the training covers. This can give you an idea of what the total services offered could entail.
Certified by who?
EPA Certified, when the course is completed and the test is passed?
If it is considered “NACHI Certified Well Sampler” that wouldn’t amount to a hill of beans in a courtroom, because there is no such thing besides just a name someone came up with.
Well, Dale, I suppose this means we won’t be seeing you on 10/21. 
Thanks for the input.
As previously published, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has expressed an interest in providing CEU credit to this course for its licensed septic system inspectors and Joe is providing them with the material they requested in order to see that it happens. Our state is pushing to have this long neglected area addressed - by whatever means - be it commercial (my company), individual, or state. The main objective - look at what you are drinking and the equipment supplying it to you.
Competence in this area provides one with the means of offering this service to his customer.
If you were being sued for something you did in regard to water sampling, the entity that certified you would be totally irrelevent.
“I *PHIC’d *up this sample, but it’s okay, because I am certified by EPA,” has never been a successful defense in court for any profession.:roll:
The training that is being offered provides those passing the test with the certification of having the skills to perform the services, competently. Competent performance is the most effective defense from being sued, excluding frivilous litigation. Certain vendors of report writing software will differ with me on this point, but I feel that the written communication ( properly worded pre-inspection agreements and reports) is the second most effective defense. Being “certified” by anyone is no defense.
One last point I would like to make is why I am so anxious to add this service for my client.
Home inspections prevent the potential loss of money or other property, which is important - however, the most beautiful and well constructed home that sits on a contaminated water supply could result in the permanent loss of health and/or life…making this the most important service that I can offer.
There is a need for this service. There is excellent training available (free to NACHI members) to help them fill this need.
Dale,
The course is part of a road of continuing education for home inspectors. It is a good course, with valuable information.
So tell me… if your cometitor offers well water testing as a part of a package, and you do not, and a client was looking for a single source, would you not perform the sampling. And sampling is what we are speaking of, not testing.
The major difference between mold and water contamination, is that there are existing and verifiable standards for the classification and limits of any variety of conditions which can be found while testing water. No so for mold, I’m afraid. No acceptable or unacceptable standards exist, and are recognized by the EPA or CDC with regard to ANY mold level.
After taking the water sample, the tests are performed by certified laboratories. The liability falls on the lab. But, were you aware that the EPA is suggesting that some samples not only show proof that the cooling process has started for the sample, but that the lab not accept certain samples if temperature is above 10 degrees C ?
Or, lets say you DONT perform sampling. Do you not think its beneficial to know what red flags to look for? Like a manure stack within 75 feet of the well head. Or the installation of a non-sanitary well casing cover? Or recognizing the sources of possible contamination? Or knowing what contaminents are all about? Or knowing how total dissolved solids in water affect certain contaminent testing? Or advising your client, who is 8 months pregnant, to be sure and have the water tested for high concentrations of nitrates or nitrites? I could go on and on, and I do over the entire training day.
Isnt it beneficial to know that many sources of contamination are caused from faulty workmanship by the well driller and/or pump installer? Tell me, do you know how well casings are repaired? Do you know how many feet above sea level a jet pump can raise water? As I said, I can go on and on.
Even if you dont plan to take samples, the course contains great information for all inspectors. It covers wells, types, aquifer, pumps, tanks, testing, contaminents, health effects, abandoned wells, emerging standards, etc.
Sorry you feel its worthless information.
I have FREA E&O, and they are aware I perform well sampling. Never heard a peep from them. I do not perform the tests. I gather the samples and deliver them to a NELAC-Certified testing facility.
Didn’t say it was worthless information Joe.
Seems like the liability would be higher than the reward, just IMO anyway.
Dale I do not believe they are telling you, you must do sampling if you take the class. Can’t beat the price for some CEU’s. I think it would be interesting and would gladly go if it was offered nearby.
Well it would be interesting how they build nuclear power plants too, but since I’m not inspecting them I wouldn’t spend a day learning…
Brian,
I you have wells in AZ, and think folks would be interested in a course like this one, I’ll gladly come down.