Quick Answer: If the home you're buying gets its water from a private well, test the water before you close. Lead, arsenic, bacteria like E. coli and total coliform, and nitrates can all be in water that looks, smells, and tastes fine. FHA and VA loans often require a water test on well properties, and even when your loan doesn't, the test is the only way to know what your family will be drinking.
Most homes in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and the other cities get municipal water, so a lot of buyers never think about it. But plenty of homes in Hampton Roads and Northeastern North Carolina sit on private wells, especially in southern Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Isle of Wight, and Currituck. For those homes, the water supply is part of the house, and nobody else is checking it for you.
Why water testing is its own test
A home inspection looks at the plumbing: the pipes, the water heater, the pressure, the leaks. What it can't tell you is what's dissolved in the water. That takes a sample and a lab.
Think of it like a doctor's visit. The physical exam tells you a lot, but some things only show up in bloodwork. Water testing is the bloodwork for your home's water supply. At InspectRx we collect the sample during your inspection visit, send it to the lab, and you have results within two business days, which fits inside a normal contract timeline.
What we test for
Our water testing meets FHA and VA requirements and covers the problems that matter most for a home on a well:
- Bacteria (E. coli and total coliform). Total coliform bacteria are an indicator. Their presence means something is getting into the water that shouldn't be. E. coli is more serious, because it points to contamination from human or animal waste. A cracked well cap, a shallow well, or a well too close to a septic drain field can all let it in.
- Nitrates. Nitrates come from fertilizer, animal waste, and septic systems. Homes near farmland or with older septic systems are the ones to watch. High nitrates are a particular concern for infants, which is why a family with a baby on the way should never skip this one.
- Lead. Lead rarely comes from the well itself. It comes from the plumbing: older lead solder, brass fittings, and fixtures. That's why lead is worth testing even in homes on city water if the plumbing is older.
- Arsenic. Arsenic occurs naturally in some groundwater. You can't see it or taste it, and it's not something you want to drink day after day.
We test for other substances as well, depending on what your lender and the property call for.
Why our wells deserve extra attention
Hampton Roads is low, flat, and wet. The water table sits close to the surface in much of the region, and heavy rain, nor'easters, and the occasional tropical storm can flood low ground. When floodwater reaches a wellhead, it can carry bacteria and whatever else was on the surface straight into the water supply.
Many rural properties also have both a well and a septic system on the same lot. If the two are too close together, or the septic system is failing, the well can pay the price. A water test doesn't tell you why there's a problem, but it tells you there is one before you own it.
FHA and VA loans
If you're using an FHA or VA loan on a home with a private well, expect your lender to ask for a water test. These loans have standards for a safe and adequate water supply, and the appraiser or lender will usually require proof that the well water meets them before closing. Your lender decides exactly which tests are needed, so ask early and send us the requirements. We'll make sure the sample covers them.
We work with a lot of military families in Hampton Roads, and VA buyers are often on tight timelines with a PCS date looming. Two-business-day results keep the water test from being the thing that holds up your closing.
What happens if the results come back high
Don't panic. Most water problems have well-understood fixes.
Bacteria can often be cleared by disinfecting the well and correcting whatever let it in, such as a damaged well cap or poor drainage around the wellhead, followed by a retest. Nitrates, lead, and arsenic usually call for a treatment system matched to the problem, and lead from plumbing may mean replacing the fixtures or pipes it's coming from. A water treatment professional can recommend the right fix.
If you're buying, a failed water test becomes part of the negotiation, just like anything else the inspection turns up. The seller can fix it, credit you, or you go in knowing what needs to be done.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need water testing if the home is on city water?
Usually not for the loan. City water is tested by the utility. Lead is the exception worth considering, because it comes from the home's own plumbing, not the water source.
How long do results take?
Results are typically back within two business days.
Should I test my well even if I'm not buying or selling?
Yes. Testing a private well at least once a year for bacteria and nitrates is a good habit, and it's worth testing again after flooding or any work on the well.
Can I take the sample myself?
You can, but how the sample is collected affects the result, and a lender may not accept a homeowner-collected sample. During a purchase, a professionally collected sample avoids that question.
Related reading
- Pre-Purchase Home Inspection Checklist for Virginia Beach Buyers
- What Home Inspectors Find Most Often in Virginia Beach Homes
- Sewer Camera Inspection: Why Every Homebuyer Should Get One
Buying a home on a well?
Add water testing to your home inspection and get the full diagnosis in one visit. InspectRx tests well water for buyers and homeowners throughout Hampton Roads and Northeastern North Carolina, and we'll explain your results in plain English.
Call InspectRx at +1-757-717-1747 or email Office@inspectrx.org to schedule.