If you live in a home with a well, well-water testing is a must. Municipal water is tested at the utility but can become contaminated, either at the source or because of a home’s deteriorated piping or piping that may have been breached and gone undetected. Whose looking out for that well-water? When was the last time the seller of the home, you’re interested in purchasing, had that well tested?
Years ago, getting well-water tested, involved hiring a specialized water inspector to visit the home and collect samples directly from the taps, examining those samples for signs of a dirty well, such as cloudy water, low water flow, and taste or odor problems. This professional would also take the water to a lab that would have the amount of bacteria, nitrates, and other contaminants in the well measured.
Today, many home inspectors specialize in more than just inspecting the home, realizing that an integral part of that home is also the safety of its water and air. To save you time and money in hiring a specialized water tester, HelloPro will use the same testing methods and we only use an AIHA-LAP, LLC EMLAP accredited laboratory to measure the testing results; usually with a same day turnaround.
The costs vary greatly depending on what qualities you’re looking to screen for and what the water labs in the area charge, but there are some general rules.
If you have a specialized water testing professional come out to collect samples and test for bacteria, arsenic, and nitrates, you’re likely to expect a cost of $250 – $350.
If you collect the samples yourself and take them to a lab to test for those same issues, the price will likely be upwards of $200.
Higher costs are inevitable if you or your specialized water collection professional decide to test for additional parameters in the water such as lead or perfluorocarbons; a groundwater contaminant known to be problematic in some areas.
If you’re in need of a home inspection, consider saving yourself time and money by allowing HelloPro to complete the water testing you need for the safety of your family.
There are about 15 million Americans who get their drinking water from a private well. A water-well is a structure drilled into the earth that draws up groundwater to use for drinking, bathing, washing clothes, watering plants, and more. Because that water is coming right out of the ground, there is always a chance that it could be carrying harmful chemicals, bacteria, and more.
There are two types of well-water testing:
Yes, most well water issues can be fixed with water treatment to deliver acceptable water quality. You don’t have to walk away from the purchase of a home just because of unfavorable water testing results.
Most structural issues are affordable to fix and even lead in the well water can be treated for proper water quality but depending on where the contaminate is coming from will determine cost and the source of that contaminate may need to be determined by a qualified professional water treatment company.
Home buyers finding significant well-water issues in a home they want to purchase should ask the seller to cover this cost before their inspection correction deadline. If a seller refuses to cover the cost associated with these problems, it might be a reason for the buyer to walk away from this particular home.
If there is no well to test and the home is on public municipality, it’s still worth the safety of your family to test the water for bacteria or cross contamination of microbes.
The municipality is bound to municipal water standards dictated by the EPA, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, legislation passed by Congress in 1974 that requires the EPA to set contaminant levels to drinking water at which no adverse health effects are likely to occur. You can also check local water quality in the EPA’s required Consumer Confidence Reports.
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Epidemiological studies in the U.S. and Europe have associated mold sensitivity with the development, persistence, and severity of asthma. Exposure to mold and the mycotoxins or toxins they produce can be absorbed through the skin, GI tract, or by inhalation of fungal parts. Suppression of the immune system by exposure to these types of pollutants has been linked to chronic diseases, even cancer.
Mold exposure can be harmful to your health. People with weak immune systems from diseases such as HIV infection, patients taking chemotherapy, people with existing lung disease, and those who have had an organ transplant are more susceptible to infections from mold and can have a severe reaction.
The increasing awareness of mold problems in indoor environments has created high demand for mold investigation and inspection services. Fluctuations in air quality often go undetected until toxins accumulate to dangerous levels in an environment. Monitoring and promptly addressing air quality concerns before problems arise is essential to the health of your home, business, clients, and employees.
Sample analysis of your indoor space for air quality monitoring and fungal-related toxicity concentration including black mold is our specialty.
Have peace of mind with our Lab Certified, Professional Results, and Detailed Report!
Bacteria are microscopic organisms not visible to the naked eye. These tiny organisms are everywhere, both inside and outside of your body. They survive in a variety of environments and while some are necessary for life others can make you extremely sick. At Microbial Express Labs we offer a complete testing service that not only detects the presence or absence of sewage-related bacteria, we also quickly identify and enumerate them.
Coliform bacteria are natural inhabitants of the environment and the intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals. It is their presence in drinking water that indicates that disease-causing organisms (pathogens) could be in the water system. A Total Coliform test is used as an overall indication of sanitation efficiency. The presence of total coliform, by itself, does not imply that the resource is contaminated, but it can reveal that one, if not more of the more serious types of harmful bacteria, such as fecal or E. coli bacteria, may be present.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the major species in the fecal coliform (FC) group and is the best indicator of fecal pollution and the possible presence of pathogens or disease-causing organisms.
E. coli bacteria are found in greater quantities than Total Coliform in animal fecal matter. Our Total Coliform test detects the presence of Total Coliform and E. coli. If E. coli is detected along with Total Coliform in drinking water, there is strong evidence that sewage is present. As a result, a greater potential for pathogenic organisms to exist.
At Microbial Express Labs we offer a second layer to this test. In addition to the traditional test mentioned above, our Complete Fecal Coliform test adds the detection of Enerococcus faecalis. E. Faecalis is also a fecal indicator organism and one of the various microorganisms used a positive control in the examination of water for human consumption. E. faecalis is a very stable bacterium. Its ability to survive in harsh conditions is greater than that of E. coli and in recent years there has been an increase in its resistance to many once used antibiotics.
A positive test implies a risk that pathogenic species may be present. Testing for bacteria is the only reliable way to know if your water is safe. You cannot determine the presence of disease-causing organisms by look, taste, or smell.
It is recommended that well owners test their water for coliform bacteria at least once a year and more frequently if bacteria have been a problem in the past. Our trusted labs not only provide the detection of but also will enumerate the number of Coliforms/Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Enterococcus faecalis bacteria. We provide fast, accurate results you can trust!