For a Point of Sale Inspection, your inspector will draw water samples to be tested. These samples are then sent to the state lab for examination to see if your well water is in compliance with your local health department standards. Two common tests for mortgaged purchases is nitrates and nitrites. This is a standard test for all Point of Sale Counties and all loan programs.
The federal standard is less than 10 parts per million for nitrated and less than 1 part per millions for nitrites. High levels of nitrogen pose a risk to infants and can result in a condition called methemoglobinemia; commonly called "blue baby syndrome". This is because the skin appears blue-grey or lavender in color. The change in skin color is caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood and an abundance of nitrogen. Babies suffering from methemoglobinemia need immediate medical care.
Some studies have shown that pregnant women who drink nitrate-contaminated water are at a higher risk to having babies with birth defects. Nitrate ingested by the mother may also reduce the amount of oxygen available to the fetus.
The correction for too much nitrogen in the water is a reverse osmosis system. Boiling water will not create safe drinking water; it will actually increase the nitrogen level due to the evaporation of the water. Check with your well inspector to make sure your water is safe for drinking; they can help you read the lab results.
Some studies have shown that pregnant women who drink nitrate-contaminated water are at a higher risk to having babies with birth defects. Nitrate ingested by the mother may also reduce the amount of oxygen available to the fetus.
The correction for too much nitrogen in the water is a reverse osmosis system. Boiling water will not create safe drinking water; it will actually increase the nitrogen level due to the evaporation of the water. Check with your well inspector to make sure your water is safe for drinking; they can help you read the lab results.
You should check with your local Health Department instead of the inspector to see if your water is safe. Good info.
ReplyDelete- Bill Haun, Ingham County Health Department
Bill, we updated our post to reflect that the inspector submits tests to the lab to see if the water is in compliance with the local health department. If you have any other good tidbits or helpful insights for our buyers please let us know so we can provide the best information. Feel free to comment on our blog posts directly anytime! Appreciate your help.
ReplyDelete-The Selling Team