Should You Test Your Well Water?

The answer is yes.

Why should I test my well water?

Water from a municipal treatment facility undergoes rigorous, regular testing to ensure harmful contaminants aren’t present in the city drinking water. Well water, on the other hand, isn’t required to be tested. When you by a home, some home loan lenders will require certain water tests, but these tests are not always require or even comprehensive.

As water flows through different types of rocks it can pick up harmful or distasteful components. For example, pockets of arsenic, uranium, or iron can be found throughout the Flathead Valley. Iron can cause discolored or distasteful water but generally has no negative health implications. Arsenic and uranium, however, can cause severe long-term health concerns. Additionally, these components are tasteless, odorless, and invisible. The only way to know if they are in your well water is to have it tested.

Well water can also be contaminated from harmful and even dangerous bacteria. A common cause of bacterial contamination to is a well located too near a septic drain field or a malfunctioning septic system leaching into a nearby well. Thankfully, a simple coliform test can help determine the presence of harmful bacteria.

How often should I test my well water?

The National Ground Water Association recommends well owners test their well at least annually for bacteria and nitrates. The CDC recommends private wells be additionally tested anytime there is a change to well components or to the color, odor, or taste of well water.

What should I test my well water for?

What to test your well water for largely depends on where you live because water quality indicators can change depending on the substrate water is flowing through. Certain areas around the Valley are known for different issues but even neighboring wells can have substantially different results.

Is there well water testing near me?

Yes! Locally, the Montana Environmental Lab is located in Kalispell and is a certified & licence water testing lab. The friendly folks at M.E. Lab can help you determine what to test your well water for, how to test it, and how to interpret the results.