New to Wells... Test Result Interpretation/Recommendation Needed

[NEMatt]

My wife and I are in the process of buying our first house in Northwest NJ and we just got back the NJ Private Well Test Act results. A few items exceeded the limit values and I am interested in everyone's thoughts on the matter. Topic results are as follows:

- Total Coliform, present. E.coil, absent.
- pH: 6.08
- Lead: 16 ug/l
- Iron: 48 ug/l
- Copper: 130 ug/l (this is not technically an exceedence but still a question for me)

The house was built in 1977 and has a 215ft well drill at that time. There are no current water treatment devices installed other than a sediment filter. Sample was taken at the kitchen tap, and have to assume it was taken correctly I suppose. It is a 2.5 bath house.

My questions:
1. What are the most common sources of TC? Unfortunately the test was pass/fail and did not give concentration.
2. That lead concentration exceeds the EPA action limit for first-draw test. The NJ PWTA mandates running the tap for a minimum of two minutes before sampling. How the heck is lead still this high?
3. For the same reason as above with the lead, I feel the copper result cannot be meaningfully compared to the EPA 1300 ug/l action limit. How bad is 130 from a running tap? There is definitely some green staining around fixtures.
4. Given the results, what components, or set of components, would everyone suggest for remedying the issues? Acid neutralizer? Some filter combination? UV thing? Open to all thoughts on the matter.

Thanks very much!
Matt

 

[Reach4]

1. What are the most common sources of TC?

For 215 ft well, non-pro SWAG: prioritized

1. Incorrect sampling techniques. (by far)
2. Casing not extended above ground 6 or more inches
3. Well never properly sanitized after well work
4. Contamination with surface water due to well defect.
5. Natural coliform (not E. coli) in water strata

For any bacteria test to be meaningful, you have to follow proper sampling techniques including sterilizing the faucet. If you care about the coliform test results, care needs to be taken in sampling. There are variations on suggested sampling techniques, but they have some other things in common:
https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/331-225.pdf
https://www.anra.org/divisions/water_quality/lab/pdfs/Proper_Collection_of_Drinking_Water_Samples_for_Coliform_Analysis.pdf
https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Alberta/Pages/Bacteria-Testing.aspx
https://www.digbydistrict.ca/559-water-testing-sample-taking-procedure/file.html
https://servitechlabs.com/Services/Water/WaterSamplingProcedures/tabid/128/Default.aspx
These all describe methods to avoid contaminating the sample. Choose one or two to read, not all.

If whoever took your sample used the good procedures, then demote #1 in my list.

- pH: 6.08
You can treat with calcite, but you could alternative use plastic pipes and fixtures and/or use polyphosphate injection to prevent corrosion.

- Lead: 16 ug/l
That would be very high (16000 ppb). You probably mean 16 ng/L = 16 ppb (parts per billion). Still, don't drink it, unless you run it through a reverse osmosis filter or other effective filter.

- Iron: 48 ug/l
That's very little. That's 0.048 mg/L

- Copper: 130 ug/l (this is not technically an exceedence but still a question for me)
Your number is 1/10 of the MCL for copper. Look at the ingredients on your multivitamin bottle. Expect to find copper.

You did not mention hardness.

 

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[NEMatt]

I think you have your units and decimal places all confused WRT the lead.

Lead is 16 ug/l... over the 15 ug/l EPA action level
Iron, good catch, I meant 0.48 mg/l... over the 0.3 mg/l suggested level
Yes, copper is 1/10 of the EPA action level, however like I said the NJ Private Well Test Act is not first-draw sample like the EPA lead and copper rule sample is. So the 1300ug/l action level is somewhat meaningless. I don't care about ingesting it I care about the home's plumbing.

Hardness was not part of the NJ PWTA sample so I am unsure.