Private Well and USDA Home Loan

Water Quality Requirements

A USDA Home Loan requires that all private wells must meet local and State requirements.  A USDA Home Loan requires the property to have safe and adequate water.  The water system must be approved by a State or Local Government agency.  When the property has a private well system then it must meet the requirements of the State Department of Health.  Written verification must be obtained showing the water complies with the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act.

The present requirements for Safe Drinking Water needed for a USDA Loan:

* only one test needs to be performed for nitrates; however, a laboratory can report the results of its nitrate testing in either of the ways listed.

Testing of Well Water

It is a good practice to test your well water each year. A basic test will let you know if a problem exists. Testing more than once a year may be warranted if:

• Someone in the house is pregnant or nursing
• A neighbor finds contaminants in their well water
• Unexplained illness in the family
• You notice a change in water taste, color, or clarity
• You replace or repair any part of the well system

Most County Health Departments will do a test for your personal use free of charge.  There is a slight charge for a well test for mortgage purposes.  Before taking a water sample, contact the lab for any special instructions.

Maintaining an Existing Well

Good well maintenance means testing your well water approximately once a year. You should keep the well area clean and accessible, keep all pollutants as far away as possible, and have a licensed well driller check the well if problems are suspected. If you house has a septic as well, you need to keep it in good operating condition to keep the septic from possibly contaminating the well water.

Preventing Backflow

You should install anti-backflow devices on all your faucets with hose connections in and outside your home. Otherwise, contaminated water from a laundry tub, sink, washing machine, or pressure washer could flow back through the plumbing to contaminate your drinking water supply.

Disinfecting the Well

For every 100 gallons of water in the well, use 3 cups of liquid laundry bleach. Mix the bleach with approximately 10 gallons of water. Turn off the pump circuit breaker before removing the well cap. Pour the solution into the well. If you have a water softener this is a good time to disinfect it as well. Turn on the pump. Connect a clean garden hose and run water for about 10 minutes. Turn off the pump, put the hose into the top of the well casing, turn on the pump, re-circulate water for about 2 hours. Then open up all other water faucets in the house (faucet aerators may need to be removed to keep from clogging), until you smell chlorine, then close then shut them off. After 24 hours open all the faucets again and continue to run until you no longer smell chlorine and taste disappears.

For more information on your drinking water:

The following sites provide information on steps you can take as a private well owner:

The Groundwater Foundation

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

American Groundwater Trust

National Ground Water Association

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3. The Benefits of a USDA Guaranteed Loan to Purchase
4. Using a USDA Loan to Purchase a Home After a Foreclosure
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