Well Water: Is it Safe?

With more people moving to the outskirts of the Santa Clarita area in search of lower prices and larger lot sizes, well water is becoming more of an issue since many of these areas aren't served by public water utilities.

How do you know that a home has a functional well that produces enough water for your family? And how do you know that the water is safe to drink?

While there's not a strict outline for required well testing, most lenders will at least want to know that there's potable water (as in drinkable without getting sick). Others will require tests on the output volume as well, measured in gallons per minute.

Common causes of well water pollution include microorganisms (i.e. "bugs", bacteria, viruses, parasites), radionuclides (radioactive substances), nitrates, nitrites, heavy metals (arsenic and others), and fluoride.

You'll find important information on well water quality at these websites: http://www.wellcarehotline.org/, http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/ and http://www.wellowner.org/.

The EPA has also prepared an informative publication that you can download here.

For more information on the Santa Clarita Valley area, visit http://HoneyStartPacking.com/ and http://SantaClaritaRealEstateBlog.com/.