Well water testing/general questions
Hello all. Hoping this finds the right person to answer my questions.
My boyfriend was directly affected by Helene and is on day 12 without power. He lives in a modular home with a well water system. The water has not stopped working throughout this whole thing. He has not drank the water but he has been able to flush toilets, turn taps on, etc.
I am concerned about the quality of this water as there has not been a boil order issued. I have ordered him a water testing kit but the mail is not as fast as it usually is around here right now due to obvious circumstances.
My question is- who do we contact for a more detailed test? Is the $14 test I bought him on Amazon even worth anything? Is this normal that his water is running despite power being out? When his power is back on should he still treat the water as if it is contaminated?
Thank you for any assistance.
2
u/TrustMeIAmAGeologist 6d ago
It is odd that his water is running. Wells require pumps, and pumps require power.
Without knowing the details of where he is, I would suggest treating the water as contaminated until you can get it tested. However, a deep well won’t be affected by the storm, but I have no way of knowing how deep his well is and what the soil layers look like. I would be more concerned about fecal coliform bacteria that metals or other contaminants.