How to Pass Well Water Testing for Vacant Homes

Selling a property that is currently vacant, whether due to the recent influx of foreclosures or just owners who have already moved on, poses its own set of unique challenges to real estate agents.

One of which is passing the well water test that’s required in the state of New Jersey, the NJDEP-PWTA test.

You Can Help Prevent Unoccupied Homes from Failing Well Water Testing

A failed well water test can stop a sale dead in its tracks. Many buyers are not willing to wait around for repairs or are put off by the potential cost.

But here’s the good news. Some failed well water test results can be prevented.

If you’ve noticed that more vacant homes fail the well water test than occupied homes, there’s a reason for this: old standing water. Water that has been sitting sometimes for months can fail for metals.

NJDEP certified testing labs must follow strict guidelines when running the water. In some cases, this may only mean letting it run for 20 to 30 minutes. For homes that are occupied, this isn’t an issue – but it can be one for vacant buildings, because that’s not enough time to flush those problematic metals out.

The main way to prevent this issue is to ensure that the water is well-flushed prior to the well test – BEFORE the lab shows up for collection.

You can also sanitize the well, or have it done by a professional well driller.

Bio

Allen Thomas is the owner of New Jersey Analytical Labs , an independent environmental testing laboratory whose mission is to provide complete analytical laboratory services to meet the needs of its customers.  In addition to serving the residential and commercial communities with dependable, high quality testing services, NJAL is certified by NJDEP and provides quality Water Testing services using a secure online process and our professional staff to answer your questions.

Learn more about our residential water testing here , or order a home water test online  or by calling 609-737-3477.