A well that has supplied a family for twenty years without anybody thinking about it can fail a lender's water test in a fortnight, and the failure is almost never dramatic. It is usually bacteria, it is usually fixable, and it usually arrives at the worst possible moment because nobody tested it until a buyer's lender required it.
This article covers what gets tested, what actually fails, how remediation works, what else about a well affects a sale, and why testing before you list is worth the modest cost.
We buy rural property including on wells, so read the last section knowing that. We are not water quality professionals, well contractors or medical practitioners. Nothing here is health advice, and if you have concerns about your drinking water, test it and speak to your county health department.
Who this affects
Anybody outside a rural water district or municipal supply, which across Green Country means a substantial share of acreage in Bixby, Skiatook, Coweta and the rural parts of Creek, Wagoner, Mayes and Cherokee County.
Many rural properties have a well, some have rural water, and a few have both, covered in our article on rural water districts.
What actually gets tested
In a financed sale, a lender will generally want a water quality test, and what is included depends on the loan programme and the lender.
The core items:
- Total coliform bacteria, a broad indicator of whether surface contamination is reaching the water
- E. coli, a more specific indicator of faecal contamination
- Nitrates and nitrites, which matter particularly in agricultural areas and near septic systems
- Lead, on some programmes
Additional testing that is sometimes required and frequently worth doing anyway: arsenic, iron, manganese, hardness, pH, sulphates, and in some areas radionuclides.
The test that fails is almost always coliform bacteria, and that is a plumbing and wellhead problem far more often than a groundwater problem.
Why coliform fails
Understanding this is what makes it fixable rather than frightening.
Coliform bacteria are common in soil and surface water. A positive result generally means surface water is reaching the well somewhere, and the usual routes are mechanical rather than geological:
- A damaged or missing well cap, or one that does not seal properly
- A casing that is cracked, or that does not extend far enough above ground
- Surface water pooling around the wellhead, which is a grading problem
- An old well pit, which is a below-ground chamber that collects exactly what you do not want near a water supply
- Contamination in the plumbing rather than the well itself, particularly where a property has sat vacant
- Nearby septic problems, covered in our article on septic inspections
That last one is the connection people miss. A failing drain field and a well on the same parcel are not independent facts, and a property failing both tests has one problem rather than two.
How remediation works
- Find the entry point. Inspect the cap, the casing, the grading around the wellhead and any pit. Shocking a well without fixing the route just resets the clock
- Shock chlorination. Introducing chlorine to disinfect the well and the plumbing, then flushing thoroughly
- Wait, then retest. There is a period before a retest is meaningful, and testing too soon produces a misleading pass
- Retest, and if it fails again, look harder. A second failure means the entry route was not found, or the problem is deeper
- Consider treatment, such as ultraviolet disinfection, where the source cannot be eliminated. Lenders vary on whether they accept treatment rather than a clean untreated result
Timescale is the real cost. Shock, wait, flush, wait, retest is measured in weeks rather than days, and where it fails twice you are into a month or more. On a transaction with a closing date, that is the whole problem.
What else about a well affects a sale
Water quality is one of four things, and sellers usually only think about the first.
Yield
How much water the well actually produces, measured over time rather than at a moment. A well that supplies a couple can struggle with a family of five, and some lenders require evidence of adequate yield.
A yield test is different to a quality test and it is worth knowing your figure.
The equipment
Pump, pressure tank, wiring and controls all have finite lives and a failed pump is an immediate problem rather than a negotiable one. Age and service history matter, and an inspector will note condition.
Construction and records
Well drilling in Oklahoma is regulated and there are records associated with construction and with licensed drillers. A well with documentation, showing depth, construction and date, is a better proposition than one nobody knows anything about.
If you have a well log, keep it and give it to the buyer. If you do not, ask whether one exists.
Abandoned wells
An old well on a property that is no longer used has requirements around proper plugging, and an unplugged abandoned well is both a direct route for contamination into groundwater and a safety issue. It is also the kind of thing an inspector notices and a buyer asks about.
Testing before you list
The argument for is simple: this is one of the few sale problems where the cost of finding out early is small and the cost of finding out late is a collapsed transaction.
A water test is modest. A shock, wait and retest cycle is weeks. Doing that in your own time, before a buyer exists, converts a deal-killer into a completed maintenance item.
There is the disclosure tension covered in our article on Oklahoma seller disclosure: what you learn, you generally have to disclose. On a well, our view is that knowing early wins clearly, because a documented shock and clean retest is a strength rather than a weakness. A buyer would far rather see that than an untested unknown.
Keeping a well healthy
- Test annually for bacteria, and after any flooding, repair or change in taste, smell or clarity
- Check the cap is intact and sealed, and that the casing extends properly above ground
- Grade away from the wellhead so surface water runs off rather than pooling
- Keep contaminants away, meaning fuel, chemicals, livestock and fertiliser storage
- Maintain the septic system, because the two are connected on the same parcel
- Keep records of every test, every repair and the well log. This is worth real money at sale and costs nothing to accumulate
Where we come in
Our interest, plainly. We buy properties with failed water tests, with wells nobody has tested in thirty years, and with no potable supply at all.
The part against us: a failed coliform test is usually the cheapest deal-killer on any rural property to fix. It is a cap, a grading correction and a shock chlorination, and the main cost is weeks rather than money.
If that is the only obstacle between you and a financed sale, fix it and list the property. You will almost certainly net more than we can offer, and we would rather say so than buy a house from somebody who did not know their problem had a three hundred dollar solution.
Where we are worth a conversation is where the well has genuinely failed, where the yield is inadequate, where the property has no supply and connecting is impractical, or where a deadline means you cannot absorb a month of shock and retest cycles. Our page on buying in Bixby covers the acreage picture more broadly.
The short version
Six things worth knowing
- Coliform bacteria is what fails, and it is usually a wellhead problem rather than groundwater
- Fix the entry route before shocking, or you are just resetting the clock
- Shock, wait, flush, retest is weeks, which is why it kills transactions
- Yield, equipment condition and construction records matter as much as quality
- A well and a septic system on the same parcel are one problem, not two
- Test before you list. It is the cheapest deal-killer on rural property to fix
Frequently asked questions
Will a lender require a water test?
In a financed sale, generally yes on a property served by a private well. What is included depends on the loan programme and the lender, and the core items are coliform bacteria, E. coli and nitrates.
What usually fails?
Total coliform bacteria, by a distance. It is a broad indicator that surface water is reaching the well somewhere, and it is a wellhead and plumbing problem far more often than a groundwater problem.
Why does coliform get in?
Usually mechanically: a damaged or unsealed well cap, a cracked casing or one not extending far enough above ground, surface water pooling at the wellhead, an old well pit, contamination in the plumbing after vacancy, or nearby septic problems.
Is a failed test dangerous?
We are not medical practitioners and cannot advise on health. What we can say is that a positive result means you should stop drinking it until it is resolved, test properly and speak to your county health department.
How is it fixed?
Find and fix the entry point first, then shock chlorinate the well and plumbing, flush thoroughly, wait the appropriate period and retest. Shocking without fixing the route just resets the clock until the next test.
How long does that take?
Weeks rather than days, because there is a waiting period before a retest is meaningful. Where it fails twice you are into a month or more, and that timescale is why it kills transactions with closing dates.
What if it fails a second time?
The entry route was not found, or the problem is deeper. That is the point to bring in a well contractor rather than repeating the same shock, and to consider whether the septic system on the same parcel is part of the picture.
Can I install treatment instead?
Ultraviolet disinfection and other treatment exists where a source cannot be eliminated. Lenders vary on whether they accept treatment rather than a clean untreated result, so establish that before spending on equipment.
Is my septic related to my well problem?
It can be, and that is the connection people miss. A failing drain field and a well on the same parcel are not independent facts. A property failing both tests frequently has one problem rather than two.
What is well yield and why does it matter?
How much water the well produces, measured over time rather than at a moment. A well that supplies a couple can struggle with a family of five, and some lenders require evidence of adequate yield. It is a different test to quality.
Does the equipment matter?
Yes. Pump, pressure tank, wiring and controls all have finite lives, and a failed pump is an immediate problem rather than a negotiable one. Age and service history matter and an inspector will note condition.
What is a well log?
A record associated with the well's construction showing depth, construction details and date. A well with documentation is a better proposition than one nobody knows anything about. If you have one, keep it and give it to the buyer.
What about an old unused well on the property?
An abandoned well has requirements around proper plugging, and an unplugged one is both a direct route for contamination into groundwater and a safety issue. Inspectors notice them and buyers ask about them.
Should I test before listing?
Yes, and this is one of the clearer cases. The cost of finding out early is small and the cost of finding out late is a collapsed transaction, because the fix cycle is measured in weeks.
But do I then have to disclose a failure?
Generally yes, and on a well that works in your favour. A documented shock and a clean retest is a strength rather than a weakness, and a buyer would far rather see that than an untested unknown.
How often should I test normally?
Annually for bacteria, and additionally after any flooding, any repair to the well or plumbing, or any change in taste, smell or clarity. It is inexpensive and it is the only way to know.
What maintenance keeps a well healthy?
Check the cap is intact and sealed and the casing extends properly above ground, grade away from the wellhead so water runs off rather than pooling, keep fuel chemicals livestock and fertiliser away, and maintain the septic system.
What records should I keep?
Every test result, every repair, the well log, and any documentation about the pump and pressure tank. It costs nothing to accumulate and it is worth real money at sale because it replaces uncertainty with evidence.
Can I sell a house with a failed water test?
To a cash buyer, straightforwardly. To a financed buyer it is difficult, because the lender will generally want a passing result before funding and the fix cycle takes weeks that a closing date rarely allows.
Should I just sell to a cash buyer instead of fixing it?
Usually not, if that is your only obstacle. A failed coliform test is the cheapest deal-killer on rural property to fix. Fix it and list the property, because you will almost certainly net more than we can offer.
When does a cash sale actually make sense here?
Where the well has genuinely failed, the yield is inadequate, the property has no supply and connecting is impractical, or a deadline means you cannot absorb a month of shock and retest cycles.
Do you buy properties with no potable water?
Yes, including failed tests, untested wells and properties with no supply at all. There is no lender requiring a passing result, so it affects the number and the timeline rather than whether a sale can happen.
We buy rural property including on wells, so read the last section knowing that. We are not water quality professionals, well contractors or medical practitioners. Nothing here is health advice, and if you have concerns about your drinking water, test it and speak to your county health department.