Water Quality & Analysis


Rule

Well owners should test your drinking water for coliform bacteria two to three times a year. You may want to consider additional chemical analyses (contaminant such as metals, pesticides, etc.) if you think your local groundwater aquifer may be contaminated or simply seek peace of mind.


Rule

SERVICE: Well Busters can independently sample your water supply and arrange water quality testing for domestic use, regulatory requirements, scientific or industrial purposes. We offer assistance with basic potability testing as well as more detailed testing of microbiological and chemical parameters.


DESCRIPTION: Water quality testing is an important step in insuring your drinking water is pure and free of biological organisms, especially coliform bacteria. Presence of coliform bacteria is a well known problem in Ontario, causing a variety of illnesses and can sometimes be fatal. Although well pits and poor well construction provide conduits for surface water and bacteria to get in your well, even new wells can become contaminated with coliform bacteria and other foreign materials(e.g. from contamination of a neighboring well, etc.).


Why should I test my water for coliform bacteria?

Testing your water for coliform bacteria is free if you can properly collect a sample and get the sample to your local health unit in a timely manner. Alternately, Well Busters can collect water for a small fee and submit the sample on your behalf. You need to know that your drinking water is free of bacteria – coliform bacteria, and E. coli in particular can cause extreme illness or even death.


What if the sample contains bacteria?

Call Well Busters and have a professional investigate your well. We can help determine possible causes of well contamination and suggest reasonable improvements to your well that can improve water quality. We can also recommend suitable safe-guards such as UV treatment systems that add peace of mind.


I want to buy or sell my home – what testing do I need?

In addition to water quantity requirements (see real estate page), most real estate sales require potability tests. This is a simple test of water quality that primarily examines water for presence of coliform bacteria, especially E. coli, which is normally an indicator


I have a UV treatment system – why should I test my water.

UV treatment systems provide a high degree of protection from bacteria such as coliform bacteria. These systems rely on consistent maintenance (of lenses, pre-filters, etc.) to ensure satisfactory water treatment. At Well Busters, we know from time to time well owners neglect or rely too much on water treatment systems. Therefore, we think it is very important to eliminate sources of bacteria and chemical contamination at the source – typically the well head.


What is professional water well sampling?

Typical WATER QUALITY SAMPLING includes:

Bulletentry to well via removal of well seal, lid or cap;

Bullet measurement of the static water level and well depth;

Bulletremoval of pumping equipment from the well (if necessary);

Bulletaddition of a test pump to the well;

Bulletpumping the well at a rate that allows fresh water from the surrounding aquifer to enter the well;

Bulletsampling the ‘new’ water for the desired parameters;

Bulletremoval of the test pump from the well;

Bulletreplacement of the well owners pump (if removed);

Bulletdisinfection of the well;

Bulletreplacement of well seal, lid or cap and departure from the well;

Bulletdelivery of the sampled water to an accredited laboratory (if necessary);

Bulletdelivery of water quality results to customer.

Water Quality