Professional Water Sampling

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On Block Island, regular water testing is basically risk management. Most homes rely on private wells and on-island conditions make water quality more likely to change over time—often without any obvious taste or smell changes.Key reasons to test:

• Private wells aren’t regulated like city water. If you’re on a well, you (the homeowner) are the “water department,” so testing is the only way to know it’s safe.
• Salt air + coastal environment can affect systems. The marine environment can accelerate corrosion and wear in plumbing components, tanks, and treatment equipment, which can impact water quality.
• Seasonal use creates problems. Homes that sit vacant for weeks/months can have stagnant water, which increases risk of bacteria growth and can leach metals from plumbing.
• Heavy rain and storm events can change groundwater. Big weather swings can introduce contaminants into wells or overwhelm older systems.
• Septic systems are common. In areas with dense seasonal occupancy, septic and groundwater are closely linked—testing helps catch issues early.
• You can have “clear” water that still isn’t safe. Things like bacteria, nitrates, and some metals don’t always show up visually.

• Total coliform bacteria
• E. coli
  Nitrate/nitrite (especially important for health risk screening))

 Includes the basic bacteria test plus a wider panel such as:

• Nitrate/nitrite
• pH, hardness, alkalinity
• Chloride / sodium (useful in coastal areas)
• Turbidity / total dissolved solids (TDS)
• Iron and manganese (staining/odor indicators)

 Common metals tested:

• Lead
• Copper
• Arsenic
• Uranium (sometimes offered depending on lab)
• Other metals depending on the lab package

 Many labs now offer PFAS panels for private wells. This is usually an add-on and can be a good one-time baseline (or periodic, depending on results and risk tolerance). 

 Used if there’s concern about:

• Fuel oil, gasoline, solvents, chemicals
  Often recommended if you suspect contamination or want a very thorough baseline.

 Relevant when:

• The home is on a private well and you’re doing a deeper health screen
• There’s known radon risk in the region (labs can advise)

 Based on what you’re seeing:

• Hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell)
• Tannins (tea-colored water)
• Chloride/salinity (salty taste)
• Corrosivity testing (if pinhole leaks / blue-green staining)