Water Quality Guide for Realtors
After receiving inquiries from many real estate agents over the years we thought it might be helpful to write a guide to answer some of the most common questions that arise when a home is being sold. Questions about water quality are much more common if the home has a private well, because it is the responsibility of the individual buying or selling the home to monitor the water quality. Unlike a home supplied by a public water supply which is required to be tested periodically by a licensed operator.
In this guide we will cover this topic from two distinct perspectives:
Agents Representing the Seller
For homeowners whose water is from a public supply, it is tested periodically to verify it is safe to drink. If there is any water treatment equipment installed to improve the quality, it is advisable to determine what was installed, why it was installed and to confirm it is functioning properly.
For homeowners whose water is from a private well, there may be specific testing required by the municipality before the home can be sold. Frequently this is overseen by the health department. Some real estate agents recommend having a comprehensive test done by a certified lab on the raw water and installing equipment to correct any issues that come to light proactively. When evaluating water treatment companies, it is generally advantageous to find someone who is a Certified Water Specialist through the Water Quality Association (WQA). That certification demonstrates a level of technical knowledge, professionalism and commitment to the industry.
Agents Representing the Buyer
For homeowners whose water is from a public supply, it is tested periodically to verify it is safe to drink. If there is any water treatment equipment installed to improve the quality, it is advisable to determine what was installed, why it was installed and to confirm it is functioning properly.
When looking at a home whose water is from a private well, it is generally recommended to have a comprehensive test of the raw water by a certified lab. If the results indicate a problem with the quality and you contact one or more water treatment companies, it is generally advantageous to find someone who is a Certified Water Specialist through the Water Quality Association (WQA). That certification demonstrates a level of technical knowledge, professionalism and commitment to the industry. If there is any water treatment equipment installed to improve the quality, it is advisable to determine what was installed, why it was installed and to confirm it is functioning properly. Although it involves an additional cost, having a comprehensive lab test performed on the treated water as well as on the raw water is advisable.
In Summary
Although most water quality problems can be solved, it is best not to assume but to verify that the quality of the water is safe to use. We have enjoyed working with many real estate agents over the years and in some cases, we were able to save their clients the cost of installing unnecessary water treatment equipment.
As an agent, if you are involved with a home that has a water quality problem, please feel free to get in touch with our own WQA Master Water Specialist, Paul Friot, and he will be happy to discuss it with you.
For additional information, check out these resources:
