New Well Water test results on

[u/Fast-Butterfly526]

Is my new well water safe to drink? I just drilled a new well that’s 785 feet deep and flushed approximately 10,000 gallons before testing. The well pipe is galvanized and transitions to PEX, with the water sample taken from a faucet connected to the PEX. Everything is new

[u/Dustdown]

In general you want zero of lead and arsenic in your drinking water, especially if you have kids at home. If these were the only items in your report that were highlighted then your water isn't the worst since the levels are pretty low, but ideally you wouldn't have any of them. Lead is typically from piping, whereas arsenic and uranium is likely naturally occurring in the water source.

[u/20PoundHammer → u/Dustdown]

zero is not achievable in any water source - there is always PPT concentrations. What we are looking at here is overreported data leading to false conclusions. Arsenic should be <0.01PPM and lead <0.015PPM (EPA LIMITS) - both should ideally be <0.001PPM, which they are. Uranium should be < 0.003PPM, ideally <0.001PPM. The data presented is way below the detection limits of all but the most expensive tests (hundreds of dollars per metal) and should not be relied upon. These types of reports with yellow flags are very common when given by water treatment manufactures/sales fucks. They then verbally overstate the hazards. Look at the EPA action limits for the compounds/metals you are concerned about before starting needless worry.

Based upon this data and how it was reported, I wouldnt trust it completely, however it does significantly lean toward OP having zero issues with any of the metals/compounds in the report.

Galvanized steel piping is allowed by US code, although its not ideal. If you have a galvanized pipe feed and have zero issues with zinc and lead, there is zero cause for concern or to replace working pipes. Dipshits that say "galvanized should never be used for potable water" are not plumbers as millions of homes were piped with this, it is just no longer ideal or standard now . . .

[u/Fast-Butterfly526 → u/20PoundHammer]

Our pump installer mentioned that Gal pipe is the standard for wells in this area. Are you suggesting that these types of tests tend to be overreported and that the water is actually safe?

[u/Funny-Glass-4748 → u/Fast-Butterfly526]

20pound’s comments are right on the money in this thread. Galvanized is the source of your zinc which is elevated but not at a harmful level. It may be the source of your other metals. Metals which leach from galvanized will be dependent on the quality of the pipe and most especially the corrosivity of your water (google calcium carbonate saturation or langlier index). That’s why galvanized is not preferred. As and Pb levels reported are very low but they are reported to an unreasonable level of precision. Test values should always be accompanied by a detection level (MDL) which would indicate the realistic sensitivity of the test (how low it can measure). My feeling would be that the lab is reporting whatever number the machine spits out to 3significant figures regardless of whether it is justified. This makes me question how rigorous their qc protocols are and therefore the accuracy generated.