Water Testing
In many areas, mortgage lenders require water quality testing for properties with private wells. Testing a community well may not be required by individual lenders, as this is normally the purview of the municipality. Most lenders will accept a home inspector as an independent tester, who’s required to check for bacteria, including E. coli and coliform.
Schedule Your Water Testing
Professional Water Testing In Traverse City, MI
In many areas, mortgage lenders require water quality testing for properties with private wells. Testing a community well may not be required by individual lenders, as this is normally the purview of the municipality. Most lenders will accept a home inspector as an independent tester, who’s required to check for bacteria, including E. coli and coliform. The results for such tests are usually available within 48 hours. Tests for minerals and other contaminants may take weeks to complete.
What Testing Can Reveal
Public and private water supplies should be tested because they may be affected by the following:
- dangerous levels of bacteria, including E. coli and coliform;
- elevated levels of nitrates and nitrites from fertilizers that leach into the groundwater;
- fluoride levels;
- mineral contaminants, such as iron and arsenic;
- heavy metal contamination, including lead; and
- water hardness.
No natural water source is completely free of impurities; contaminants and pathogens must be monitored and mitigated. With the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set standards that determined the level for the safe consumption of 80 contaminants.
Water system plants test and treat water. However, these protections can and do fail. As a home inspector, it is your job to look for material defects in the home to ensure that it is safe for the occupants; adding water quality testing using a reliable test kit can enhance the information you report to your clients.
If you are interested in water testing, you can use our contact page to email us or schedule an inspection online.
