Well Inspection?

[Damien Clark]

I just got one of my flips under contract and there is a well inspection. I had the well tested a year ago and it passed but it has been vacant for the last year. Do I need to go run teh water for a certain amount of time prior to it getting inspected again?

[Ryan K.]

I would recommend running the water to purge everything that has been sitting in the pipes for an extended time. Metals such as copper and lead from the pipes, fittings, solder, etc. can leach into the water over time and it would be best to purge it all. I would open all faucets, even those on the exterior if present and let the water run for a while to get fresh water in the system. Do this purge right before (a day max) the sample is collected for best results. 

Regarding the bacteria test - be sure that the person collecting the water sample knows proper procedures. They should thoroughly clean their hands before handling the containers and its best if they wear new latex gloves. Also best that they remove any filters or aerators from facets before taking a sample, as these can collect junk and habor microbes, and even disinfecting the end of the faucet with a lighter wouldn't hurt. Basically you don't want any cross contamination from the sampler or anything else that would give you a positive test (bad).

Hope this helps!