Water Testing: What I Do and What I Don't
I don’t collect or test water samples. Water testing is done by a certified laboratory, and the sample has to be collected a specific way for the result to mean anything. What I do is tell you when a test is worth getting, what to ask for, and put you in contact with someone who does it. You deal with the lab directly.
I’m writing this page because “should I test the water?” is one of the most common questions I get on properties outside city water, and the answer depends on the property.
When Water Testing Is Worth It
Private well. Always, at least once before you buy. Wells aren’t treated or monitored by anyone but the owner. A basic panel checks for coliform bacteria, nitrates, and sometimes arsenic and total dissolved solids. In Parker and Wise County, nitrates from livestock and septic, and naturally occurring minerals from the Trinity formation, are the common findings.
City water, older home. Usually not, with one exception: homes built before the late 1980s can have lead solder in the copper plumbing, and a first-draw lead test is cheap insurance if you have young children. This is a plumbing question more than a water-supply question.
Any home with a treatment system. If there’s a softener, reverse-osmosis unit, or whole-house filter, a test tells you whether it’s doing anything. Sellers often install these to deal with a problem they don’t mention.
Homes near agricultural land, old gas activity, or a known contamination area. A broader panel makes sense. The lab can advise on which one.
What a standard panel covers, so you know what you’re asking for when you contact a lab:
- Bacteria: total coliform and E. coli, the basic safety test
- Nitrates and nitrites: septic, fertilizer, and livestock runoff
- Total dissolved solids, hardness, pH: the numbers behind scale, staining, and taste
- Metals: lead, arsenic, iron, manganese, depending on the panel
- Optional: fluoride, sulfate, chloride, radon in water, volatile organics
Results usually take one to two weeks, so on a well property it’s worth ordering the test early in the option period.
What I Look At During the Inspection
Water quality is the lab’s job. Water delivery is mine. On every inspection I run the fixtures, check pressure and flow, look for staining that points to iron or hardness, note the condition of the water heater (hard water shortens its life), and document any softener or filtration equipment and whether it appears to be operating. On well properties I note the pressure tank and wellhead if visible. See what’s inspected for the full scope.
What If the Test Comes Back Bad?
Most problems have a treatment solution: chlorination or UV for bacteria, reverse osmosis for nitrates, a softener for hardness. The result becomes a negotiating item with the seller, the same as any other inspection finding, and the lab report gives a contractor what they need to quote the fix.
How It Works
- Book the home inspection and tell me the property is on a well or has a treatment system
- I put you in contact with a testing lab or well professional; you schedule and pay them directly
- Order the test early in the option period so results are back before you have to decide
- Bring the results to the walkthrough and I'll go through them with you
What Clients Say
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you test the water yourself?
No. I’ll put you in contact with a testing lab or a well professional who collects samples, and you work with them directly. I don’t take a fee for the referral.
Can I collect the sample myself?
Some labs allow it with their kit and instructions. Bacteria samples in particular are easy to contaminate, so if the result matters for a purchase decision, have the lab or a well professional collect it.
How long do results take?
Usually one to two weeks, so order early in the option period.
Do you inspect the well or the septic?
Not the well; I’ll refer you. Aerobic septic systems, yes, as part of the home inspection. See the well inspection and aerobic septic pages.
Not Sure Whether to Test?
Book the home inspection and ask when you call; I’ll tell you whether a test makes sense for the property. Call or text 469-879-2772, or schedule online.