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Still looking at the house? Do not assume the home inspection covers the well or the septic system. Start with the records, tests and inspections that protect you before closing.

• Buying a house with a well and a septic system: a checklist 6 min read

Nobody tests a private well for you. A lab test once a year is the most useful habit a well owner can have, and it costs less than most people expect.

• Well water testing: what to test for, how often, and what it costs 5 min read
• Well water test planner Calculator
• Well water result checker Calculator

Bacteria, nitrate and arsenic are the results that change what you should drink today. Each has its own guide.

• My well tested positive for coliform bacteria. What now? 4 min read
• How to shock chlorinate a well with household bleach 6 min read
• Nitrate in well water: safe levels, who is at risk and what to do 5 min read
• Arsenic in well water: testing, safe levels and treatment 5 min read
• Well shock chlorination calculator Calculator

A septic system is a tank and a patch of soil doing the work of a treatment plant. Three habits keep it alive: pump the tank on time, watch what goes down the drain and look after the drain field.

• How often should you pump your septic tank? 6 min read
• What not to flush or pour down the drain with a septic system 5 min read
• How to take care of a septic drain field 4 min read
• How much does it cost to pump a septic tank? 6 min read
• Septic pumping calculator Calculator

Most failures give notice. These guides cover what the early signs look like and what to do in the first hour.

• Signs your septic system is failing, and what to do first 6 min read
• Your septic system in heavy rain or a flood: what to do 5 min read
• Why does my well pump keep turning on and off? 4 min read

Stains, smells, grit and scale are usually nuisances, not emergencies, but each one tells you something about the well.

• Why does my well water smell like rotten eggs? 5 min read
• Orange, brown or black stains from well water: iron and manganese 4 min read
• Cloudy, milky or sandy well water: causes and what to do 5 min read
• Hard well water: do you need a water softener? 8 min read
• Water softener size calculator Calculator

The pump and the pressure tank are the parts you will hear working. Knowing what normal sounds like makes a problem easier to spot.

• Well pressure tanks: how they work, the settings and the air charge 4 min read

The advice is the same on both sides of the border, but the guideline values and the testing schedule are not.

• Well water testing in Canada: what to test, how often and where 4 min read