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Nova Scotia Real Estate Transactions
Real Estate Agents receive a VIP complimentary on-site mineral test (value $50.00) for their client.
If you plan to mortgage or sell your property, you will need to have your water tested. The quality and quantity of your water will affect the value of your home. Most mortgage companies will request proof of both bacterial quality and chemical quality of your well water. Buyers may also request this information. They may make their offer conditional on acceptable test results.
Sampling should be done by a qualified professional with no vested interest in the transaction. It is easy to get a poor result if the sample is not taken properly. Sampling Bottles need to be replaced as they expire. The person collecting the sample should check for chlorine odour from the water. If chlorine is present, the well may recently have been shock treated for bacteria. You can also ask the seller to disclose if they have shock chlorinated the well. You should wait at least five days after treatment to take a sample.
Evolution Water Testing will ensure that all precautions(in-line filters etc) will not interfere with results. If there is an Ultraviolet Sterilizer on-site, we will request when the sterilizer bulb was last replaced to ensure it will provide a "safe" result.
It is the homeowners responsibility to test their private well water. The Department of Environment & Labour and Department of Health urges all Nova Scotians to test their well water at least 2(two) times/year for Coliform Bacteria including E. coli.
Bacterial quality is assessed by analysing for total coliforms and E. coli in the sample water. Sometimes the results are given simply as present or absent. For real estate purposes, request the results as a number or count. Getting the result as a number will cost more than a presence/absence result. Results that indicate the water is safe to drink may come back in a variety of formats:
• 0 colony forming units per 100 millilitres (0 CFU/100 mL)
• less than 1 colony forming unit per 100 millilitres (<1 CFU/100 mL)
• non-detect (ND)
If a number other than 0 or <1 CFU/100 mL is provided in the lab report, it means that bacteria are present in the water.
If the water is being treated for bacteria with a water treatment system, test both the treated and untreated water. This allows you to determine both the quality of the untreated water and the effectiveness of the treatment system in place.
Chemical quality
Mortgage companies will usually request a chemical quality test for the most common harmful substances that can occur naturally in Nova Scotia water - Arsenic & Uranium . Some companies may request other chemical quality tests if your area is known for problems related to local geology or land use. If you are buying a property with a well, we recommend that you get a complete chemistry analysis and metals scan. This will provide the information you need to assess water quality and decide on treatment options, if needed.
