Testing Well Water

[LizGio]

First and foremost, thank you for everyone's response to my other threads! I appreciate the time and detail you put into your replies more than you could possibly imagine!

I have a hose hooked up to a well water source. We don't use this for anything more than watering our gardens in the summer. Our main supply of water is public. The chicken set up is on the side of the house with the well water and would be very convenient to use. So....

1. Should I test my well water to be on the safe side? I don't think it's hooked up to any type of filter. I actually have no idea....

2. What exactly am I testing for to ensure it's chicken-safe? I was looking on Amazon for water testing kits and some have many more "categories" to test for. Some even come with a bacteria test.

3. Do you have a preferred water test kit?

@U_Stormcrow

 

[SelfSufficientMe]

First and foremost, thank you for everyone's response to my other threads! I appreciate the time and detail you put into your replies more than you could possibly imagine!

I have a hose hooked up to a well water source. We don't use this for anything more than watering our gardens in the summer. Our main supply of water is public. The chicken set up is on the side of the house with the well water and would be very convenient to use. So....

1. Should I test my well water to be on the safe side? I don't think it's hooked up to any type of filter. I actually have no idea....

2. What exactly am I testing for to ensure it's chicken-safe? I was looking on Amazon for water testing kits and some have many more "categories" to test for. Some even come with a bacteria test.

3. Do you have a preferred water test kit?

@U_Stormcrow

I am a licensed water plant operator in Florida. I do well testing on the side. I test for Ecoli and total coliform (bacteriological). You can test for all sorts of contaminants. Lead, nitrates, etc. I do not know what you should test for but those are the basics as far for human consumption. Sometimes county health departments will offer free test kits. Hope that helps.

 

[Geena]

Funny this thread popped up because I just sent in some water samples today. They are testing for Coliform Bacteria, Nitrates + Nitrites, Sand, Turbidity, pH, Iron, Hardness, Lead, Copper, and Total Arsenic $159.00

 

[saysfaa]

...

1. Should I test my well water to be on the safe side? I don't think it's hooked up to any type of filter. I actually have no idea....

2. What exactly am I testing for to ensure it's chicken-safe? I was looking on Amazon for water testing kits and some have many more "categories" to test for. Some even come with a bacteria test.
3. Do you have a preferred water test kit?

1. We did.

2. https://extension.psu.edu/testing-your-drinking-water

3. https://www.dep.pa.gov/Citizens/My-Water/PrivateWells/Pages/Water-Testing.aspx
And
https://agsci.psu.edu/aasl/water-testing/drinking-water-testing

I found some maps showing where there are wells that tested high for given contaminants. That help us decide what to test for. I didn't find such a thing for your state in the few minutes I looked. The testing labs can probably direct you.

We ended up testing for everything because it cost less for the three or four panels than for the individual things we decided we wanted. Unfortunately, your state groups and prices the panels differently. We had choices like partial metal, extensive metal, and inorganics, instead of groups based on industries nearby.

Semi-related. We had to replace our well the first year we lived here. We learned far more about wells than we want to know. One thing is that deeper isn't necessarily better, although that might depend on local geography.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Contact your County Health Dept. They tested mine. If its safe for you, its safe for them.

There is no way I know of to do an at home test to look for the sorts of things a drinking water test needs to include, and the "sample and send" tests I just don't have enough experience with to recommend (or oppose). I just don't know. I know I'd want to look at heavy metals, nitrates, and fecal coliforms, some other bacteria. beyond that???

 

[RubelliteRose]

Here is the Virginia Dept of Health page on well testing for a reference:
https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/water-testing/

Pre-covid, our city held annual clinics for discounted testing of well water (haven't heard if they will be holding these again here or not). Your city may have a similar program. We have found that most of the free testing offered only tests for water hardness, not safety.

 

[Brooks_]

I have a hose hooked up to a well water source. We don't use this for anything more than watering our gardens in the summer. Our main supply of water is public. The chicken set up is on the side of the house with the well water and would be very convenient to use.

How deep is the well? Was it once used for the house?

 

[LizGio]

How deep is the well? Was it once used for the house?

I have no idea. It came with the house that we bought about 3 years ago.

 

[Brooks_]

I have no idea. It came with the house that we bought about 3 years ago.

I don't have enough info to say likely safe or not. "I" would have it tested.

 

[Banana01]

How does your well work if i may ask? Is it something you can turn on with a switch and get an endless supply of water? Or is it something you have to pump with a manual valve? Is it an electric?

I have no idea, but I do know that if you have an endless supply of water, even a trickle, you can do some really cool stuff to build natural filters, waterfalls, etc. A natural filter would require only a little bit of rocky material that the water passes through removing any metals and hard stuff, and UV from the sun kills the bacteria.

Your problem with the well is you dont know what is down there. Testing it would give you peace of mind but an above ground way to create natural filteres water would be best, like a natural pond.

Is your terrain flat or do you have some slopes? Even an above ground tank where your well water passes through a filter into a tank may be a choice.