Municipal water is tested constantly. A private well is tested when you decide to test it — which for most households means almost never. That gap is why we push water testing so hard.
The annual baseline
At minimum, test once a year for:
- Total coliform bacteria and E. coli
- Nitrates and nitrites
- pH and hardness
- Iron and manganese
Test immediately when
- Taste, smell or color changes
- The well floods or the area floods
- Someone in the household is pregnant or immune-compromised
- You repair or replace any part of the well system
- You're buying or selling the property
Reading the results
Bacteria present means the well needs shock chlorination and, more importantly, an investigation into how surface water is getting in — usually a failed cap, a cracked casing or a poor grade around the wellhead. Treating the symptom without finding the entry point just delays the next positive test.