We put this question at the top of our list because it’s perhaps the most important on the list.  Before you commit to completing the purchase, you should receive a report on the water quality of your home. If your home receives its water from a municipal source, you should have access to the annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) which will give you a detailed overview of the water quality of the area. Municipalities that serve over 100,000 people are required to post their CCR findings on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website. The CCR  is not available to houses that are fed by wells and groundwater.

Even if these reports are available to you, it’s highly recommended to have an independent, state-certified laboratory perform a water quality test as the pipes within houses themselves are often the culprits for dangerous contaminants like lead.

Generally speaking, water is supplied by either municipality or private water sources such as wells and both types of water supply carry their own distinct advantages and disadvantages.

One of the more important advantages of municipal water is that its quality is regulated by the EPA which has strict rules about contaminants.  This advantage does however come with the caveat that the water is only monitored until it leaves the water treatment facility, meaning that it could become contaminated along the way to your house.

Wellwater, on the other hand, is wholly unregulated, which means that water treatment is the responsibility of the property owner.  Wellwater and groundwater are also far more likely to have mineral contamination from calcium carbonate, iron, and hydrogen sulfide.

With the abhorrent conditions of drinking water in Flint, Michigan making national headlines, many people are more tuned into the water quality of their own areas.

The shocking report this year that an estimated 186 million Americans have been exposed to unsafe levels of lead in their drinking water, has become an even more pressing issue.

You will also want to get a full picture of the mineral content of drinking water in your area.  Hard water can wreak havoc on pipes and hose-fed appliances, not to mention skin and hair.  If the house you are buying has hard water or any type of contamination, you are going to have to make preparations to have it removed.

In most cases, the onus falls on the seller to rectify any water quality issues.  If your independent water tests identified issues, satisfactory water treatment should be written into your purchase agreement conditions.

Whether this requires communication between the seller and the municipal water supply, a well overhaul, or the addition of an in-line water filtration system, make sure your bases are covered before signing any type of purchase agreement.  Any balking on the part of the seller should be a non-starter on your part.

While it’s true that there are many issues with water quality in many areas of the country, luckily solutions do exist.  To learn more about the water treatment options available to you, contact the professionals at Quality Water Inc., and let us ensure that your water is safe to drink.