Protect Your Family’s Health: Essential Well Water Testing for Astatula Lake Harris Waterfront Properties
Living on the pristine shores of Lake Harris in Astatula offers breathtaking views and direct access to Florida’s natural beauty, but waterfront property owners face unique water quality challenges that demand vigilant testing and monitoring. With the area’s proximity to natural springs and the complex groundwater systems that feed them, understanding your well water testing requirements isn’t just recommended—it’s essential for protecting your family’s health and investment.
Understanding Florida’s Well Water Testing Landscape
While all public water systems in Florida are required to perform routine testing to ensure that they meet state drinking water standards, private well owners are responsible for ensuring that their OWN well water is safe to drink. This responsibility becomes even more critical for properties near Lake Harris, where Little Lake Harris, covering 2,744 acres, is a Public lake situated in Astatula, Tavares, and Howey-in-the-Hills in Lake County and connects to Florida’s vast network of natural springs and aquifer systems.
The Department of Health strongly recommends that you test your water for bacteria and nitrate at least once per year if you have a private well. However, properties near natural springs may require more frequent testing due to the dynamic nature of groundwater systems in these areas.
Specific Testing Requirements for Lake Harris Area Properties
The Florida Department of Health recommends testing your private well water annually for coliform bacteria, nitrate, lead, and pH. For Astatula waterfront properties, additional testing considerations include:
- Nitrate Testing: A 2020 Florida water quality assessment indicated that more than 75% of frequently monitored springs had nitrate-nitrogen concentrations above the (0.35 mg/l) threshold, making this a critical parameter for area wells.
- Bacterial Contamination: Bacteria and nitrate can reach the ground water and wells through poorly maintained septic systems, livestock areas and fertilizer application, or as a result of poorly constructed wells.
- PFAS Testing: Recent studies have found concerning levels of “forever chemicals” in Florida’s water systems, with freshwater springs, which provide 90% of the drinking water to its inhabitants showing detectable levels.
Loan Requirements and Property Transactions
If you’re buying or refinancing a Lake Harris waterfront property, the majority of FHA, USDA and VA loans require that water testing be performed on the well prior to closing, but each lender is different. VA, FHA and USDA loans usually recommend testing for bacteria and nitrate and sometimes may require testing for lead and/or nitrite. It may take up to 2 weeks to get the results of all of the required testing. You also want to account for any problems that may occur with the results and allow time to resample if needed. Sample results are typically valid for 60 days from the date of the loan closing.
The Natural Springs Connection: Why Location Matters
The Lake Harris area’s connection to Florida’s spring systems creates both opportunities and challenges for well water quality. Because we live in Florida, we are lucky to have a plentiful source of ground water. Ground water fills the cracks and pores in sand, soil, and rocks that lie beneath the surface of the earth, much like water saturates a sponge. These saturated layers of earth are called aquifers, and they are the primary source of drinking water in Florida.
However, elevated nitrate levels are of less concern for public drinking water supply, which is drawn from deep in the aquifer and regulated according to the MCL standard (10 mg/l); however, they do pose risk for households reliant on unregulated private domestic wells that draw from shallow groundwater (surficial aquifers) in or near agricultural communities or near septic systems.
Professional Testing and Treatment Solutions
Your local county health department can provide you with instructions on how to collect the water samples yourself and to have them tested (usually $20-30 per sample). In some cases, local health department staff can come to your home and collect the samples for you, if you wish, for an additional fee (additional $30-$40 per visit).
For comprehensive water treatment solutions, Quality Safe Water of Florida stands ready to help Astatula area homeowners. Quality Safe Water of Florida is dedicated to ensuring every Florida family has access to clean, safe, and purified water. We are committed to providing the highest quality, efficient, and affordable water treatment solutions, prioritizing the health and well-being of our customers. Serving North & Central Florida, they offer customized solutions for properties requiring well water filtration astatula residents can trust.
Taking Action: Your Next Steps
To ensure that your private water supply is safe and healthy, you should understand the importance of maintaining your own well and water system and performing routine water quality tests. Routine water testing is a simple and inexpensive measure you can take to ensure that your water supply is safe and to protect your family’s health.
Don’t wait for problems to arise. Testing your well water is an easy and affordable approach to help ensure your water supply is safe. Regular testing will reveal any problems in your water source. Thus, you can hire a specialist to help you make the water safe for consumption. Contact your local Lake County health department at 352-253-1686 to discuss testing options, or reach out to qualified water treatment professionals who understand the unique challenges facing Astatula’s waterfront properties.
Your Lake Harris waterfront property represents both a significant investment and your family’s sanctuary. Ensuring your well water meets all safety standards through proper testing and treatment isn’t just about compliance—it’s about peace of mind and protecting what matters most.