I’ve written many articles about well water in the past because I feel this is a very important topic for rural home buyers and homeowners. A repeated warning seems necessary, especially since there still seems to be a great deal of ignorance or apathy concerning that topic for some reason. Many professional land brokers are trying to change that attitude by educating their clients during the buying process.

It is considered best-practice for real estate brokers to use the state-wide Land and Acreage Addendum as part of any purchase agreement for rural property. Among many important topics, the document warns and educates buyers concerning the need for well testing (quantity and quality) and creates contingencies for that process. When testing for quality or pot-ability, a minimal standard for testing should concern the detection of elements such as; lead, arsenic, nitrates, bacteria and uranium. A more comprehensive test may be necessary where external chemical contamination could have occurred, such as airplane de-icer, farming pesticides and herbicides, fuel tanks, or from other commercial uses.

This point-of-sale education is sometimes missed altogether or watered down (pun intended) when brokers fail to emphasize this ultra-important topic. Choose a real estate broker who has expertise in this subject matter. After all, water is probably the most important consideration when buying rural property.

For those readers who currently use a well that supplies water for their domestic use, consider spending the money to periodically test your well water to be sure it has remained free of impurities and contamination (organic or inorganic). Do not cut corners on this topic! Procrastination could result in severe health risks that may not readily be discernible.

Because of heightened consumer awareness and broker emphasis on this topic in recent years, water service companies have accumulated more data than ever concerning the presence of undesirable elements in domestic water supplies in our region. All of the five elements listed above (and more) have been found in local domestic wells at a frequency that should not be ignored.

The good news is that once any of these undesirables are detected, adequate filtering can easily and completely cure the defect. Un-detected however, such tasteless, odorless elements can create irreversible health issues such as cancer or kidney failure. Some elements such as iron, manganese or sulfur are readily detected by our sense of taste and smell, but probably won't have such adverse negative health affects like lead or uranium can.