[Small Plot Big Ideas]

I've already done some googling on this but the answers I'm getting are making me more confused. I even tried reading some official documents from Drinking Water Inspectorate (which I'd never heard of before) but I soon gave that up so I thought I'd ask here as well.


The property we're in the process of buying gets all water from a bore hole and I obviously want to get both the water quality and the related equipment (pump, filters, pipework etc) tested/checked before buying. That seemed such a simple task but apparently not...


I had expected to find a range of companies offering these types of services but I can't seem to find anything much other than Northumberland County Council who seem to offer water quality testing - perhaps this is officially regulated in some way despite being a private supply?


Can anyone explain why there aren't companies out there offering this kind of service? I would have thought that equipment servicing and water quality testing would be something that is done on a regular basis in this situation but then I'm new at all this!


Any advice that can be offered would be most appreciated 

[henchard]

There are lots of companies who do this.

Most installers of private water supply systems will do it. You can also take samples yourself to an analyst or some local councils will do it

I know because I got someone to check my private supply before buying here in Wales.

A quick Google shows there are companies in the area

http://aegwatersolutions.co.uk/?Our_Services

If you want recommendations try the following:


As most Local Authorities are unwilling to recommend people. Give the local Environmental Health department a call, ask to speak to whoever deals with private water supplies, explain the situation and ask them if they could give you the name of a few contractors 'who may have proved to be reliable in the past'

[Small Plot Big Ideas]

Thanks for the tip - I have already contacted the council by email so I'll see what they say.

I had found the website you linked to earlier but the services they list  only seemed to be new installs so I wasn't sure.

I think I was expecting to find a single company who would deal with all of this rather than someone to check water quality (prob. the council) and someone else to check the equipment/pipework (prob the web link you mentioned).

[henchard]

I think I was expecting to find a single company who would deal with all of this rather than someone to check water quality (prob. the council) and someone else to check the equipment/pipework (prob the web link you mentioned).

As I say most private water supply installers will use a local lab (as will the council) and will use them for analysis and will be happy to test and submit it to the lab for you (charging you for doing it)

When I bought my property I was only worried about the adequacy of the supply (spring) so got a local company to measure the flow rate in the driest time of year. I wasn't to worried about the quality of the water as that can be dealt with by treatment.

You also need to think how much sampling do you want; just to see what is in the water and if it is acidic etc or do you want to sample bacterial quality as well? In the case of the former you can just fill a bottle up and take to the lab or in the case of the latter you need to follow a protocol (e.g. flaming of the tap so that results are not contaminated by bacteria on the tap). Analysis fees vary depending on which suite of tests you want.

A good local water engineer will have local knowledge and can usually give good advice

[Marlboro]

My childhood, well and up to 23, was spent on a farm where the water came from a well. In the winter the pipes often froze and as the weather warmed up the frogs would spawn in the well and the water levels would drop. My Mum used to send me up to lift the zinc lid and check how much water was there. I could see the tadpoles, occasionly one would come down the pipe and emerge through what was the biggest tap I have ever seen.
Now all private supplies have to be tested, I guess ours would not have passed.

[lachlanandmarcus]

I would got through the council, ESP as if it fails quality some places (eg our council) will if you follow the right procedures actually pay for all the filters for UV and sediment to get it to pass level.

[Small Plot Big Ideas]

Just to follow up on this in case it helps others in future...

We moved in about 5 weeks ago and have now arranged for the water people (AEG) to sort things out as the tests showed the water quality was below par. A major fail on aluminium and iron levels I think plus the bacteria count was impressively high and it's also rather on the acidic side which won't help the pipework!

We've managed so far by boiling the water first and using a Brita filter most of the time but the work needed on the spring chamber and installation of the various filters will start next week. It's not cheap but I like the idea of our own water supply - luckily there is also a metered mains supply which could be brought into use in extreme emergencies.

Hopefully I can start to think about the fun things like livestock soon rather than the boring household bits like water, electrics, heating etc...

[smithycraft]

We have just had a whole new water filtration system fitted thanks to a grant from the local council.  They paid more than half of the total cost.  We knew the water was dodgy when we moved in but ignored it for 8 years.  Earlier this year I requested a water test and an EHO came out and took it free of charge.  A couple of days later we got a call from him telling us not to drink the water!

Along with bacteria, iron and manganese, we too had high levels of aluminium and were told that we couldn't get a grant to fix this, a new water supply would have to be found.  Thankfully the EHO came back a second time and took another sample direct from the well and there was no aluminium this time.  I guess the water table changes depending on how much rain we have.

One thing we did do when we first moved in was to get a ph filter installed when my hair turned green!