Well water testing!

Really need a quick response please peeps if anyone knows anything about well water and using it domestically please.

The lab will tell you if the water is 'potable' or 'non-potable'.

My well water is non-potable but perfectly ok for watering the garden or washing the car etc. I would never bathe domestically in non potable water unless if my usual water supply was unavailable.

The first time I tested the water in a lavoire we have here, the phramarcist did it for, I think, about €40. However the second time he told me that he could no longer do it and I had to contact a laboratory.

Also, about 3-4 years ago, a notice went up in our Maire stating that all wells had to be registered. I assumed that, as we only use ours for gardening, we did so and there was no further action. However, if we had been using it for household purposes I assume that someone would have started to find a way of taxing the use?

The test has been done and there are two threads running on this topic, maybe James can combine them?

If you have an address in the UK or family member or friend get them to ask the local water supply company for a complete breakdown of the water tests that have been carried out on the local water supply. Once you have this you will have some idea of the parameters that the water supply companies have to work to. If you tried to get all of these tests carried out it would cost you a fortune both in the UK and no doubt over here.

The annual report that RESE supply here is more or less useless but if your French is up to it you may be able to get a more detailed breakdown of what they test for in the mains water here, which will be your starting point. General bacterial levels and fertiliser and pesticide levels assume more importance if you are in a rural farming area as these items filter down into the water table where your well is extracting from.

If you put 'potable water testing parameters' into Google you will find loads of information. This will give you some idea of what you are up against: http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/gdwqvol32ed.pdf

If I can find a list on my old computer of the BASIC range of tests that I used to carry out on well water for clients I will try and forward it onto you here. I ran my own water treatment and water hygiene company for 22 years before moving to France and did consultancy work, predominately on Legionnaires Disease, during that time with drinking water analysis however being relatively low key.

I may have had to do this myself on our well as the seller told us it was dry but could be re-seeded and would fill again with no problem. One of his many lies. The original owner informed us that the well went dry when they built the A10 autoroute many years before and this cut the water source off.

Have often thought of using our well water for some domestic uses but OH wont hear of it, the animals drink it and they haven't turned green yet, one of the dogs is extremely fussy if his water bowl hasn't been change within the last 2 hours he turns his nose up only drinks fresh water

You will no doubt have a local laboratories d'analyses in your nearest town. They do well water testing for you. Be warned though it's not cheap but they do give a full report on nitrate levels etc

bathed and washed our teeth using our well water in our last house for a number of years with no problems ;-)

as David said - what do the results say ;-)

Yes well what did the results actuallly say. There's a big difference betwen what you drink and what you wash in. Why not ask the labo whether or not your well produces eau potable

Hi john thanks. We have already done this and got the results back today. But unsure still whether we can bath in it etc.

Take some to your local pharmacie and they can usually arrange the testing. Some larger towns like Chatellerault have labs, look in the pages jaune.