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Well, well… buying a rural property?

Reblogger
Real Estate Sales Representative

 

With all the rain we have had this year it is more important than ever to ensure you test your well water especially if you have a dug well or an older one that may have surface water leaching into it.

"As of 2006, waterborne diseases are estimated to cause 1.8 million deaths each year while about 1.1 billion people lack proper drinking water" wikipedia

Water is essential to all life   Think About What You Drink provides some information on the worlds water supply and on maintaining your own well

Helping children to understand the water cycle is a kidzone site with activity pages to help in the learning and understanding for young children

 

Original content by Marg Scheben

Many of the rural properties in South Georgian Bay get their water supply from wells, be they dug, drilled, bored or sand point wells.

Whenever I list such a home for sale, I always take a water sample at the outset.  Quite probably, any offer that comes in will include a buyers requirement for one or more water test results showing that the water is potable; that is, fit for human consumption

19 years ago when I started in the business, it was rare to get bad results back.  These days, it's very common and I often wonder if this is due to environmental degradation, tighter testing standards or perhaps a combination of the two.

It's a good idea to test the water when the property is listed in order to head off any potential problems down the line.  Often, it's a simple case of cleaning and disinfecting the well or of having minor repairs done such as tightening a cap or lid.  If a test reveals that e-coli is present, then a deeper investigation is necessary and the corrective measures may be more complex.  Either way, for a property seller, the issue will need to be addressed sooner or later so why not do it before complications arise with a buyer down the line.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit  is most helpful and has some great information about water on their website.

For buyers, I always recommend that, even if the water tests came back perfect today, things change over time and therefore, it's always prudent to put safety precautions in place.  Regular water sampling is important but more importantly, consider installing a device such as an UltraViolet (UV) light and pre-filter.  Make sure it is NSF certified, that it is installed by a professional plumber and that you remember to perform annual maintenance as required.  In the long run, it's a small price to pay for your health.

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Kathy Clulow  Sales Representative RE/MAX All-Stars Realty Inc..  Brokerage 905.852.6143
Each office independently owned and operated  Not intended to solicit clients already under contract

 

Comments (5)

Sidney Kutchuk - Realty Works Temecula Kutchuk - Realty Works Temecula
Realty Works Temecula - Temecula, CA
Realty Works Temecula

Kathy, We have a well on our rural property in California and we drink bottled water because our well guy said that if we don't test regularly, like every 3 months then it is better to drink only bottled water.  He say that the ground water can get contaminated by pesticides and phospates, etc.  We try not to use any of that.  But my neighbor right across the road uses pesticides on a regular basis. 

I never thought to test it for a property but whenever I sell another one with a well I will.  It could prevent a lawsuit if there was contamination!!!  Thanks for the tip.

Oct 19, 2008 12:22 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Kathy, I have heard about so many kinds of testing....including radon but I hadn't heard or even thought of testing for water quality.  Thank you for this post, you educated me and many others I'm sure!

Oct 19, 2008 04:13 PM
Kathy Clulow
Uxbridge, ON
Trusted For Experience - Respected For Results

Jane and Carol - When dealing with properties that use a well for their water supply we must have that testing done.

Oct 20, 2008 01:48 AM
Diane Aurit
LKN Realty, LLC - Mooresville, NC
Lake Norman Real Estate

Great reminder...we have many private wells here yet many times we don't test the water regularly.

Oct 20, 2008 02:57 AM
Kathy Clulow
Uxbridge, ON
Trusted For Experience - Respected For Results

Diane - Sometimes even though I know the importance I tend to forget to test my own

Oct 20, 2008 03:02 AM