Water Testing NY: Spring time is a Great time to Test Your Water
Water Testing NY: Spring time is a Great time to Test Your Water. The coming of spring is especially critical for individuals who rely on well water or a private well for their drinking water supply. Groundwater originates as precipitation, melting snow and spring rains generally provide the largest contribution of groundwater recharge to our aquifers each year.
Because recharge during this time can occur rapidly, bacterial contamination of wells is more likely to occur during this time of year. Some well owners may actually notice their well water change appearance or odor after large rain events or snowmelts.
Coliform bacteria tests are an easy way to determine whether your NY water supply is bacteriologically safe to drink. Coliform bacteria are common in soils and are not generally considered harmful to health, however; they are also found in human and animal waste. For this reason a coliform bacteria test is used as an indication of the sanitary condition of a water supply.
A sanitary water supply or properly constructed well should not contain any coliform bacteria; the presence of bacteria in well water indicates a pathway for potentially dangerous pathogens such as E. coli, a type of fecal coliform, to enter the water supply. If harmful bacteria or viruses are in fact present, a variety of illnesses could occur from drinking the water.
