Is your well water safe for your guests to drink over the holidays? The holiday season can be a very hectic time of the year, shopping, cooking, parties, and guests coming for a visit. Drinking water is probably not the first thing on your mind but should be something to think about to ensure your guests don’t get sick. Early November is the best time to order your test kit - it will give you plenty of time to chlorinate your well if needed.
At a minimum, a basic test should be done. This test should include at least total coliform, E.coli, nitrate, and nitrite. If your well has coliform bacteria and you have been drinking it and feel fine then you have probably built up a tolerance to it, however, when your guests come for the holidays this water is not what they are used to and they could experience stomach upset. Chlorinating your well will kill the bacteria present but make sure you chlorinate early enough so it has been flushed out completely before they arrive. E.coli bacteria is tested along with coliform – if you have this present in your well then you need to stop drinking your water completely until you have a clean water test as E. coli can cause severe illness.
Nitrate and nitrite levels are inorganic compounds and important to know especially if you have an “at risk” guest; infant, pregnant or elderly person visiting. They are usually from human activity such as fertilizing your lawn but they can also be found naturally in ground water and come from the breakdown of nitrogen compounds in the soil. Nitrate/nitrite in water is undetectable without testing because it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. If your water tests positive you should use bottled water for drinking or cooking. Boiling your water WILL NOT get rid of nitrate/nitrite or lower it to a safe level, it will actually increase the concentration of nitrates. This happens because the steam will reduce the amount of water present but since they don’t evaporate it creates a higher concentration of them in your water.
Be proactive and test your water early so you aren’t stuck saying “HO, HO, OH NO”
