What is a Failed Water Test?
A water test analyzes contaminants and water quality indicatorsopen_in_new (WQIs) found in the water supply. A failed water test may indicate that there is too much of a particular microorganism that could be harmful in the water and that renders it unsafe to drink or use.
Whether your water comes from a private well or a public source, having your water tested is the first step in protecting yourself and your loved ones from ill effects caused by potentially bad water. Once you know what you’re dealing with from the results of your water analysis, you can adequately treat your water. UV water disinfection can neutralize many harmful microorganisms and provide peace of mind.
What Do Water Tests Actually Test For?
Changes in the appearance, taste, and smell of your water are easily recognizable concerns. However, according to the EPA’s Drinking Water from Household Wellsopen_in_new, potentially severe contaminations from bacteria, heavy metals, nitrates, radon, and other chemicals that are invisible to the eye can only be determined through testing. Your water test should include analysis for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH levels.
You should also speak with your county health department for additional substances to screen for based on your well’s geography and surrounding agriculture or industry. For more information on your particular state’s guidelines, visit Private Drinking Water Well Programs in Your Stateopen_in_new.
How Do You Know When to Take a Water Test?
Groundwater is always moving. As a result, there is the endless opportunity for your water source to become contaminated. As of 2021, more than 23 million U.S. householdsopen_in_new use private water wells, and the well’s owner is responsible for overseeing the safety and quality of the water. Experts recommend testing the well’s water annually by a certified laboratory. More frequent testing may be necessary if there is cause for concern.
Location Factors
If your well is shallow, aging, located near livestock, septic systems, landfills, or manufacturing plants, there is more opportunity for contamination.
Most of the country’s pipes and water systems were designed and installed over 100 years ago. Large municipalities and cities nationwide have staff that monitors water quality around the clock. Many smaller communities aren’t able to keep up with monitoring their water quality and maintaining their aging infrastructure as required by the Safe Water Drinking Actopen_in_new (SDWA).
People Factors
Pregnant women, babies, infants, elderly, or immune-compromised people are more susceptible to the ill effects of contaminated water. If these individuals reside in or visit your home frequently more regular testing is suggested. Even if your water comes from a municipal water supply, there are still plenty of reasons to have your water tested.
If your water source is public, you should receive an annual Consumer Confidence Report from your utility containing important information regarding the water’s quality. Unfortunately, according to a May 2017 report by the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) titled “Threats on Tap: Widespread Violations Highlight Need for Investment in Water Infrastructure and Protections,
Our research shows that in 2015 alone, nearly 77 million people were served by more than 18,000 community water systems that violated at least one SDWA rule, and there were more than 80,000 violations of SDWA rules that year
— NRDC, “Threats On Tap”open_in_new
Regardless of your water source, regular testing is an easy and valuable way to educate yourself about the quality of your water and take control by installing a water filtration and disinfection system on your water supply.
Changes that Indicate It’s Time for a New Water Test:
Water from Private Wells
If the following factors are present, you should also get your water tested.
- Flooding, storm surge, or tornado activity
- Increase in construction or agriculture activity
- Increase in mining activity or a recommission of an old mine (if your well is within a quarry’s pumping zone of influence including strip mining, open-pit mining, and mountaintop removal mining, or underground mining such as for coal)
- Known issues with neighboring septic systems or cesspools
- Repair to pipes, pumps, and/or the well casing
- Recently decommissioned well in your area
- If your well is newly drilled or bored larger
Water from Public Sources
If you water is from a public source, get it tested regularly if your municipality frequently issues boil water alerts and is often plagued by water main breaks and other infrastructure failures.
Selling Your Home
Many municipalities and mortgage companies require mandatory water analysis that tests–at a minimum–bacteria, nitrate, and lead before closing on a home. As the seller, if you have a failed water test, you may be required to remedy the water quality before the sale can proceed.
Failed Water Test Concerns – Water Quality Indicators
The CDCopen_in_new recommends you have the total coliforms and fecal coliforms tested, and the EPA’s standard for public drinking wateropen_in_new states that no coliform bacteria can be present. You are responsible for ensuring that your private well water is safe for consumption, and that no coliform bacteria is present. Total coliform is a class of diverse bacteria commonly found in the environment – on plants, in the soil, and in the stomachs of warm-blooded animals. Coliform is easy to detect in water and should not appear in treated water sources
Escherichia coli, or E. coli, is a fecal bacteria that is a part of the total coliform class. It can cause illness and disease. According to the WHO’s Guidelines for Drinking-Water Qualityopen_in_new, results exhibiting coliform bacteria indicate a possibility of fecal contamination in the water and should not be ignored. If your water test exhibits total coliforms present, your water is not suitable for consumption and must be treated.
The CDCopen_in_new list the following contaminants as a concern in private wells:
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- Water Vending Machines
- Ice Machines
- Supermarkets
- Public Restrooms
- Cleaning Companies
How Can a Failed Water Test Affect My Health?
The above contaminants can cause a range of health concerns including:
- Recurring gastrointestinal illness
- Headaches
- Fatigue and weakness
- Irritability
- Respiratory distress, coughing, wheezing
- Reproductive problems
- Neurological disorders, developmental delay
Who is Most Susceptible to Contaminated Water?
- Babies, infants, and young children
- Pregnant women
- Elderly people
- Immune system compromised individuals such as
those with AIDS, undergoing chemotherapy, or
on organ transplant medications
How Effective is UV Disinfection for My Failed Water Test?
Installing an appropriately sized Atlantic Ultraviolet water disinfection systemopen_in_new will assist in getting your water back to a zero total coliform count with little maintenance. Atlantic Ultraviolet’s UV-C water purification and disinfection systems use STER-L-RAY®open_in_new UV-C Lamps, which produce ultraviolet wavelengths lethal to virtually all bacteria, protozoa, virus, and fungi. These germicidal lamps are shortwave, low-pressure tubes that emit 95% of their ultraviolet energy at 254 nanometers, the region of germicidal effectiveness most destructive to harmful microorganisms. Germicidal UV-C has been recognized for decades as a powerful, safe, rapid, and chemical-free water disinfection method and is listed by the CDCopen_in_new as effective in neutralizing waterborne microbes.
UV-C Water Disinfection to Address Your Failed Water Test
We’re here to help you select a UV water purifier that meets your needs. All our models are low maintenance, requiring only occasional quartz sleeve cleaning and lamp replacement once a year. In order to begin the selection process, you’ll need to find your flow rate in gallons per minute (GPM). You’ll also need to consider if you want a model for point of use or point of entry installation. Read our water purifier sizing and installation post or whitepaper PDFopen_in_new for help with these questions and more. Have a specific question about your application? Contact our UV specialists at (631) 273-0500 or email Sales@AtlanticUV.com.
Bio-Logic®
Our Bio-Logic® UV Water Purifiers are designed for point-of-use installation, and handle 1.5 or 3 GPM. The Bio-Logic® Pure Water Pack™open_in_new includes a Bio-Logic® 1.5 GPM UV water purifier, a sediment and carbon filter, and an installation kit including tubing, a saddle valve, and long-reach faucet.
Minipure®
Our MINIPURE® UV purifiers are designed for residential applications within the 1 to 9 GPM range. They come standard with lamp indicator lights that show lamp operation, as well as an audio alarm that alerts the user of system malfunctions.
Mighty Pure®
Our MIGHTY★PURE® line is designed for residential or commercial use and ranges from 3 to 20 GPM. These units come standard with a sight port plug that safely shows UV lamp glow, as well as an integrated drain fitting that allows chamber draining without moving the unit.
Sanitron®
Our SANITRON® ultraviolet purifiers can be used in residential, commercial, or industrial applications within the 3 to 416 GPM range. Modular units can be added or removed to change GPM as needs change over time. In addition to a sight port and drain fitting, the SANITRON® features a patented dual-action manual wiper mechanism that cleans its quartz sleeves. Models S37C, S50C, and S2400C comply with NSF®/ANSI 61 and 372.
How Do I Prevent Future Failed Water Tests?
Have a well water specialist inspection to rule out any physical issues near or with your well. The investigation can reveal bad or corroded fittings, casings, and pipes, abandoned wells nearby, or reduced water pressure. If issues are discovered with your well, you should repair them as soon as possible to mitigate continued contamination risk. If boring a new well is necessary, be sure to decommission your old well properly. Improperly decommissioned wells provide a straight path for surface contaminants to enter the aquifer, and go directly into your water well.
Install an ultraviolet water purification system from Atlantic Ultraviolet’s lineup to continuously eradicate virtually all microorganisms that have entered your water source. Made of high-quality stainless steel, the UV Water Treatment Systems from Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation® are constructed of the highest quality materials and use germicidal ultraviolet lamps to purify water. They have many optional accessories available, giving them flexibility for virtually any application. Have your water tested annually from a certified laboratory, and more frequently if there is a reason for concern. Staying aware of your water quality enables you to take the proper precautions in treating your water.
Need help? Contact Our UV Application Specialists
We will help you determine the right products, and the proper installation method in order to provide the precise ultraviolet dosage for your needs.
Call: (631) 273-0500, Mon–Fri, 7am–6pm
Email: Sales@AtlanticUV.com
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