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For additional testing information, please call 904-993-3433
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WELL TEST AND FLOW TEST provides a testing process to verify if the well and pump system is working.
ASAP plumbing and pumps will write a certified report on the health of your well and pump system.
We write these reports to satisfy requirements for mortgage companies and purchase and sales contracts.
call 904-993-3433 with any questions you may have
Do you have a well?
About 88% of Florida’s residents are served by public water systems covered by the Federal and State Safe Drinking Water Acts. The other 12% receive their water from “limited-use” public water systems and private wells. While all public water systems in Florida are required to perform routine testing to ensure that they meet state drinking water standards, private well owners are responsible for ensuring that their OWN well water is safe to drink.
The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported that consumption of contaminated drinking water in the United States has resulted in thousands of cases of illness each year. Contaminated drinking water can cause a number of diseases, and is sometimes fatal. The most common contaminants are microbes and nitrate.
Microbes: Many types of bacteria themselves are generally not harmful, but their presence is an indication that other harmful bacteria, viruses, or parasites may also be present. Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting are some of the most common symptoms resulting from drinking water that is contaminated with harmful bacteria.
Nitrate: High levels of nitrate in drinking water can pose an immediate threat to infant children. When consumed, nitrate is known to react with hemoglobin in the blood causing an anemic condition known as the “blue baby syndrome.”
To ensure that your private water supply is safe and healthy, you should understand the importance of maintaining your own well and water system and performing routine water quality tests.
Because we live in Florida, we are lucky to have a plentiful source of ground water. Ground water fills the cracks and pores in sand, soil, and rocks that lie beneath the surface of the earth, much like water saturates a sponge. These saturated layers of earth are called aquifers, and they are the primary source of drinking water in Florida.
Due to its protected location underground, most ground water is naturally clean and free of contaminants. Unfortunately, Florida’s aquifers can become contaminated by chemicals and microbes that can cause illness. Bacteria and nitrate can reach the ground water and wells through poorly maintained septic systems, livestock areas and fertilizer application, or as a result of poorly constructed wells. Chemicals can enter into the ground water from leaking gasoline storage tanks, pesticide applications, landfills, and improper disposal of toxic and hazardous wastes. As a private well owner, you should be aware of these potential risks to the ground water and your household water supply.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I’m buying/selling a house with a well. What testing does the state require?
The state of Florida does not have a requirement for well sampling when private homes are sold. However, our general recommendations are that private water wells be tested for coliform bacteria, nitrates, and lead. Any certified drinking water lab testing company should be able to handle these tests for a reasonable price. Other tests may be useful, depending upon the location, depth, and condition of your well.
I live in a house served by a well. What tests do I have to run?
The state of Florida does not have requirements for routine private home well water sampling. However, we recommend that homeowners test their water for coliform bacteria and nitrates every year. Also, most homeowners should test for lead every three years.
Private Drinking Water Wells
Fact Sheets by the
Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Health
This fact sheet discusses possible health risks from coliform bacteria sometimes found in drinking water wells.
Coliform Bacteria What are coliform bacteria?
Bacteria are a type of life form we can only see with a microscope. Also known as microbes, they occur throughout the environment. Coliform bacteria are a large group of related types of them. Most are harmless to humans, but some, such as E. coli, relate to the gut tracts of warm-blooded animals. They can cause disease with symptoms like severe diarrhea.
If most coliform bacteria are harmless, why do we test for them?
Just because a test finds coliform bacteria in your well water, it does not mean that drinking it is going to make you sick. It does show that there is a way for bacteria to get into your well water. When found, it shows that the types of bacteria that cause disease (or pathogens) can also get into your well.
Coliform bacteria serve as stand-ins (or indicator organisms) to see if pathogens may also exist in sampled water. It is not practical to test for all possible bacteria that might cause disease. Coliforms are easy to grow, and it does not cost a lot of money to test for them. The reason to test for them is that if no coliforms show up in the water, the chances of pathogens being there are very low.
What should I do if my water contains coliform bacteria?
It is easy for just one bacteria to contaminate a water sample by mistake. Before you make any costly changes to your well or plumbing, you should take a second (or confirmation) sample. This will show whether bacteria are really in the well or if there was a sampling or lab error.
If you have a water treatment system, such as an aerator or water softener, you may want to take two confirmation samples. One should be before the treatment. The other should be after it. This will show if the problem exists in the well itself or in the plumbing.
While you are waiting on the confirmation sample results, you should use properly treated water for drinking, cooking, or brushing teeth; especially if fecal coliform or E. coli are also present. Bring water to a rolling boil for one minute or buy commercially bottled water.
If a second set of samples still show coliform bacteria, you should disinfect your plumbing and/or your well. You can download a brochure on well disinfection here: www.floridahealth.gov/environmental- health/private-well-testing/_documents/well-water-facts-disinfection.pdf
Not really a coliform bacteria
July 2016
Once you have disinfected your well and plumbing, test your well water again. Until your tests come back with no coliforms, you should continue to boil your water.
How can coliform bacteria affect my health?
As stated above, some types of coliform bacteria can cause disease. The most common symptoms are an upset stomach, diarrhea, and/or flu-like symptoms. Most healthy adults will have mild symptoms. However, people with weak immune systems, the very young, or the very old may have severe to possibly fatal illness.
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For additional testing information, please call 904-993-3433
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Q: WHERE DOES ARSENIC COME FROM?
A: There are both natural sources of arsenic and manmade sources. Arsenic is a part of the earth’s crust and occurs naturally in soil and rock. Arsenic from soil and rock can dissolve into groundwater. Historic industrial activities can also add arsenic to groundwater. While arsenic is not in routine use today, it was once commonly used in some pesticides. Residues remain from past use and improper disposal.
Q: SHOULD I TEST MY PRIVATE WELL FOR ARSENIC?
A: Perhaps. This depends on your location in the state of Florida. The Florida Department of Health recommends testing wells in the areas where arsenic is frequently found. That is, in west coast counties from Dixie County south to Hillsborough County, and the western half of Polk County. Arsenic in water has no taste or odor. The only way to know if your well contains arsenic is to have it tested. Private well owners are not required to have their wells tested for arsenic. Water well owners who want to test their well water for arsenic must arrange and pay for the testing.
Q: IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO SEE IF YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO ARSENIC?
A: There are tests to measure the level of arsenic in blood, urine, hair or fingernails. The urine test is the best test to use for arsenic when someone was exposed
Arsenic in water
Your best option is to connect to a community public water supply system. All community public water systems regularly test the water for arsenic and other contaminants. These systems must comply with all federal drinking water standards. If a public water system is not available, then you must install a water treatment system or construct a new well.
Install a water treatment system
There are several types of water treatment systems that can effectively reduce arsenic levels in drinking water. These include:
ION EXCHANGE TREATMENT: This type of treatment removes arsenic by use of a special type of material made to remove it from drinking water.
REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEMS: Reverse Osmosis (RO) is a water treatment process that takes out most dissolved, inorganic chemicals from water. It does this by forcing the water through a membrane. This separates the chemicals from the treated water.
Construct a new well
In some areas, a new well that pumps groundwater can be installed at a different depth where there is less arsenic. Drilling a new well may be a good option if you already want to replace your current well for other reasons. It can be less costly in the long run than buying and taking care of a water treatment system. However, a new well may still have arsenic in it, even if it is properly built and in a proper location.
Health impacts:
EPA has set a national standard for arsenic of 10 μg/L (micrograms per liter or parts per billion).
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reviewed the scientific studies and set an acceptable drinking water level for arsenic in groundwater. The studies assume a typical person will drink two liters of water each day. The studies also assume a daily intake of some arsenic in food and from other sources.
What are the possible harmful effects of long-term exposure to arsenic?
It is hard to pinpoint the exact amount of arsenic in drinking water that can lead to a certain health problem. The health effects of arsenic depend on its chemical form, how much is consumed and for how long. Harm from exposure to arsenic in drinking water usually takes years to show up.
Arsenic sometimes causes corns to form on the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, and other places on the body. This is called hyperkeratosis.
Studies have also linked long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water to a higher risk of cancer of the bladder, lungs, liver and other organs.
Q: WHAT IS NITRATE? A: Bacteria in nature can
change nitrogen to nitrate. Nitrate is also found in fertilizers, human and animal waste and other chemicals like pesticides.
Q: WHY IS NITRATE IN DRINKING WATER A CONCERN?
A: Newborn infants become ill if they drink water or formula made with water that has a high level of nitrate. This illness is known as
‘blue baby syndrome’ because the baby’s skin looks a bluish color. A baby with this condition needs immediate medical attention. However, very little danger of this illness exists for children who are six months of age or older.
Q: HOW MUCH NITRATE OR NITRITE IS TOO MUCH?
A: Nitrate is converted to nitrite in an infant’s stomach by bacteria. Florida has set up a maximum level for nitrate of 10 milligrams per liter and for nitrite 1.0 milligram per liter for drinking water. These levels are set to guard against blue baby syndrome. These levels are required for all public water systems, and are recommended for private wells.
Q: HOW DO NITRATES GET INTO DRINKING WATER?
A: Rain or irrigation water can carry nitrate down into groundwater from sources like fertilizer, animal waste, or human sewage. Runoff from barnyards or feedlots often results in high levels of nitrate in groundwater. Septic systems not working, or overuse of fertilizer, can also increase the amount of nitrate in groundwater.
Q: IS BREASTFEEDING SAFE?
A: The Florida Department of Health encourages breast feeding, when possible. However, when nursing mothers drink water that has nitrate in it, it may increase the amount of nitrate in breast milk. As such, it is wise for nursing women to avoid drinking water with elevated nitrate. Until the drinking water meets safety standards for nitrate, safer sources of drinking water for nursing mothers are bottled water and public municipal water.
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For additional testing information, please call 904-993-3433