Well, well… buying a rural property?
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
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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