Several weeks ago I told you about having our water tested. In Vermont they suggest testing your well water every 1-5 years. We’ve lived in our home for 17 years and the water hasn’t been tested since the well was drilled 18 years ago! We figured it was about time. My husband is a home brewer and he also wanted to have the specifics on our water.
The samples were taken and my husband drove to Burlington to drop the water samples off in person. In just a few weeks all the results came in.
Now we love our water and we are always telling folks how good it is. We were expecting to have good results and we weren’t disappointed. All the water tests came in exactly where they should be.
We do have hard water; the harness measure at 82. 76mg/L to 150mg/L equals moderately hard water. Hard water causes no known health risks and can provide calcium and magnesium. If your water is very hard it can cause reduced lathering of soap and buildup of scale in plumbing components.
They tested for bacteria and there was no evidence of either total coliform or E.Coli. Therefore it is bacteriologically suitable for drinking! The health department actually recommends this test every year. Coliform bacteria are a large group of soil and intestinal bacteria that can indicate contamination and may cause health problems.
They also ran an Inorganic Chemical test. This screen is recommended every five year. They test for arsenic, chloride, copper, fluoride, hardness, iron, lead, manganese, nitrate, sodium and uranium. As mentioned above we do have hard water which is not a concern. The results for all the other chemicals were within the acceptable limits and the pH of our water is 6.5.
A screen for alpha radiation is recommended every five years. This is a screening test for natuarally occurring mineral radioactivity in water such as uranium and radium. This radioactivity is measured and reported in picocuries per liter (pCi/l). The gross alpha test will help determine if additional specific testing is needed. If the results are elevated then the state recommends further testing. If the measured gross alpha result in less than 5 picoCuries per liter no further action is necessary. Our test result came in at 1.96 so no further testing is required.
I am glad we finally got around to having our water tested. It’s nice to know that our water is a s god as we thought it was. No worries about arsenic or bacteria or any other harmful chemicals are found in our water. We can continue to enjoy it and plan to have it tested on a regular basis. If you have a dug well have you ever had your water tested?
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Nancy on the Home Front 