Well, Well, Wells!

Realtor tip: When purchasing a home, NEVER sign on the dotted line without getting a well and septic inspection. Here's why:

In the past three years, I've had five wells that failed water bacteria testing. These wells tested positive for coliform and one tested positive for the worst type of coliform — E. coli.

In two of the cases, the folks who lived there were suffering from chronic illnesses. I don't know if there was a relationship between the failed tests and their health, but it certainly didn't help!

After the inspections, it was obvious how coliform got into the wells...

• In one case, the well was inside a concrete crock. When the walls of the crock filled with water, the well casing wasn't high enough to prevent water from seeping into the top when it rained. Nowadays, wellhead casings are required to be higher off the ground and are not in crocks, so be wary when considering an older well.
• In another property, years of dogs urinating on the casing created a hole, so that urine and dirt were entering the well in a hole where the metal casing met the ground. The grass had grown around the well so you couldn't see the hole unless you stepped very close to it.
• In a not-so-obvious scenario, insects contaminated the well. If you look closely at the picture above, you can see ants crawling around the rim of the well and how they accessed the well interior.

If you have a well or are thinking of purchasing a property with one, please pay for a well inspection and also do a visual inspection of your wellhead every so often.

And don't forget to test your water yearly. You can easily do this by contacting the water quality testing lab in the Town of Leesburg (info below). And, of course, give me a call if you need more information!

Water Supply Division
43234 Edwards Ferry Road
Leesburg, VA 20176
703.737.7110