Why test a private well?
About a quarter of North Carolina's population depends on private wells for drinking water, according to NCDHHS. Whether you're buying, selling or already living with a well, the water quality is worth knowing.
When a new well is finished, North Carolina law has the local health department test the water within 30 days. That's one test, taken when the well was new. After that, NCDHHS recommends that well owners test every year for bacteria and every other year for metals such as lead and arsenic, and more often if the water's color, smell or taste changes.
Older wells may have little or no paperwork behind them. Counties have been required to permit, inspect and test wells built, repaired or abandoned on or after July 1, 2008, and how far back records go varies by county. In Buncombe County, for example, well permitting started in 2005, so wells drilled before then generally have no permit record. Water that looks and tastes fine can still contain bacteria or other contaminants, and a test is the only way to know what's in it.
What the state recommends in our area
NCDHHS places Alexander, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, McDowell and Watauga counties in its "Test Indoor Air and Private Well Water" category for radon and related radionuclides. For private wells, its county fact sheets, such as Burke County's, suggest testing the water for radon, gross alpha, gross beta and uranium. Those are specialized tests that go beyond a standard bacteria and contaminant check. If you're interested in them, mention it when you schedule so we can talk through your options.
Mineral content matters too. Catawba County's well program notes that wells in the county can carry excess iron, manganese and calcium that may need filtration. And if you're also testing the air, EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon says that when indoor radon is elevated and the home has a private well, the water should be tested too. See radon testing for how I test the air.
What a well water test looks for
I collect samples from the well for bacteria and other common contaminants. For a sense of what "common contaminants" covers, here is the list North Carolina law has local health departments test for when a new private well is completed:
- Bacteria: total coliform, with fecal coliform or E. coli checked if coliform is present
- Metals: arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, selenium, silver and zinc
- Nitrates and nitrites
- Minerals and water chemistry: fluoride, magnesium, sodium and pH
That list is for reference, and your test may not include every item on it. When you schedule, I'll go over exactly what your test covers and what the results will and won't tell you.
North Carolina's private well sampling rules call for samples to be taken at the well tap, or the closest tap ahead of any treatment device. I follow the same approach, so the results reflect the well water itself rather than water that has already passed through a filter or softener.
If a lender is involved
If you're financing a home on a private well, ask your loan officer early whether the lender or loan program needs a well water test, which tests they want and how recent the results must be. Let me know what they tell you when you schedule, and I'll tell you whether my water test covers it.
I'm also NC Real Estate Broker #213426, so I'm extremely knowledgeable about the real estate process and its timelines. I can plan the sample collection around your contract dates.
Scheduling with your home and septic inspection
North Carolina's Standards of Practice for home inspectors don't require inspecting the quality or quantity of an on-site water supply or on-site waste disposal systems such as septic, or determining whether environmental hazards are present in the air or water. That's why well water testing, septic inspections and radon testing are separate services. On a property with a well and a septic system, it often makes sense to do them together, and I can collect the water sample during the same visit.
- Home inspection: a visual, non-invasive evaluation of the home's readily visible and readily accessible systems and components under the NC Standards of Practice
- Septic inspection: I locate the system, uncover and open the tank (with a mini excavator when hand digging isn't practical), evaluate the visible condition of the tank and its components, and look over the drain field area for signs of trouble
- Radon testing: a continuous radon monitor that runs at least 48 hours, with results compared to EPA's action level of 4 pCi/L
- Well water testing: samples collected from the well for bacteria and other common contaminants
Homes in areas that flooded during Helene
After Hurricane Helene, NCDHHS estimated that more than 300,000 people in or near the flood-affected areas of western North Carolina rely on private wells. Its guidance was clear: don't drink or use water from a damaged or flooded well until the well has been disinfected and tested.
If a property is near a creek or river that left its banks during the storm, ask whether the well was disinfected and tested afterward and whether those results are available. A current test tells you about the water today.
If the results show a problem
I collect the sample and report the results. I don't treat water, repair wells or sell equipment. If a result comes back high, NCDHHS's Private Well and Health program (919-707-5900) and your county environmental health office are good places to learn what it means, and a qualified well or water treatment professional can talk with you about options.
Looking up a well's records
Permits and records for private wells are kept by the local health department, and how far back they go varies. These are the offices for the areas I serve:
- Burke County: Burke County Environmental Health
- McDowell County: Foothills Health District forms, including the well and water sample request applications
- Buncombe County: online well and septic records search (well permitting began in 2005)
- Catawba County: Catawba County Environmental Health well program
- Caldwell County: Caldwell County Environmental Health septic and wells
- Watauga County: AppHealthCare private well program (its well-permit search covers March 2014 forward)
- Alexander County: Alexander County Environmental Health
- Lincoln County side of Maiden: Lincoln County Environmental Health
Well water testing FAQ
Does a home inspection include testing the well water?
No. Under the North Carolina Standards of Practice, home inspectors are not required to inspect the quality or quantity of an on-site water supply. The home inspection looks at the visible plumbing, but finding out what's in the well water takes a separate water test.
How often should a private well be tested?
NCDHHS recommends testing well water every year for bacteria and every other year for metals such as lead and arsenic. Test more often if the water's color, smell or taste changes.
Will my lender require a well water test?
It depends on the lender and the loan program. Ask your loan officer early whether they need a well water test, which tests they want and how recent the results must be. Then let me know when you schedule so I can tell you whether my water test covers it.
Can you collect the water sample during my home or septic inspection?
Yes. If the property has a private well, I can collect the water sample during the same visit as your home inspection, septic inspection or radon test, so everything stays on one schedule.
The house is in an area that flooded during Helene. Should the well be tested?
NCDHHS advises not to drink or use water from a damaged or flooded well until it has been disinfected and tested. Ask whether the well was disinfected and tested after the storm, and consider a current test, since any water test only reflects the day the sample was taken.
Can I have the county test my well instead?
You can ask your local health department. NCDHHS points well owners to their local health department or a certified lab for well water testing. Having me collect the sample during your inspection visit simply keeps everything on one trip and one timeline.