Buying A House With A Private Water Supply

Buying A House With A Private Water Supply

Lender approved mortgage surveys

JN Environmental have a wealth of experience in surveying homes with private water supplies as part of a mortgage survey. Every month we carry out dozens of mortgage surveys up and down the country on behalf of both sellers and buyers alike.


Usually before releasing the mortgage funds the lender needs clarification on the water supply. They want to know that the water is safe for consumption and also that it is a viable supply in terms of quantity. JN Environmental can attend site and carry out all of these tests, our engineers will scrutinize every aspect of the water supply to make sure your investment is sound. JN Environmental can also assist with any remedial works in the unfortunate event of a failure on one of the water tests.

Buying a house with a borehole or spring water supply

A Guide To Buying A House With A Private Water Supply

Buying A House With A Borehole Water Supply - Do You Need Expert Advice?
A private water supply could originate from a borehole, spring, private well, stream or other water source. Unless the property has a borehole, the water supply essentially derives from rainwater which collects in field drains, shallow wells or field springs. Boreholes tend to be much deeper and are less likely to be contaminated by ‘surface derived’ water but have other potential contaminants such as iron, manganese, turbidity etc and can also contain infections such as E.coli, which can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, high temperature, nausea and headaches and in the worst case scenario, kidney failure. Young children and elderly people are most at risk from becoming ill by drinking a contaminated private water supply.

All private water should be tested regularly to ensure there is no infection or bacteria present. This is not necessary with a public water supply as that is treated with chlorine which kills the bacteria. Private water supplies should be treated with an ultraviolet system which will rid the supply of any harmful bacteria without altering the taste of the water (unlike chlorine) or removing the minerals.

If you are buying a property with a private water supply, it is vital to check whether the seller has experienced any issues with the private water supply in relation to quality or quantity. Build up a history of any past contamination by asking for previous tests which have been carried out. JN Environmental can arrange to take samples from the water source to be tested in a laboratory. If you purchase a property with a contaminated water supply, it is vital to have the contamination removed. Remember, if the Local Authority is aware that the property is affected by a contaminated water supply, the Local Authority could take enforcement action against you under the Private Water Supply Regulations.

You should carry out further investigations/due diligence to:-
• ensure that the source is protected from contamination by grazing animals or material washing down from upstream;
• ensure the water is adequately disinfected prior to use;
• make sure the water is stored and distributed to avoid it becoming contaminated after treatment and disinfection but before it is consumed.
• ensure that appropriate treatment equipment is installed and maintained to treat water to a consistently satisfactory quality

You should also check whether the source supplying your water (and the pipes and other equipment) is situated on the land you are intending to buy or whether it is on somebody else’s land. If so, you need to ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place for not only receiving the water supply from third party land but also the right to gain access to that third party land for inspection, maintenance and repair purposes. 

Also investigate how many other people use the source and whether the supply diminishes dramatically during the summer when not only households are drawing on the water supply but also animals. Another consideration is to look into carefully who will pay for and carry out repairs, renewals and maintenance to the system and who supplies the electricity to the pump and the UV filter. There is also the added complication of ascertaining who is responsible for maintenance of a leaking pipe if it is supplying different properties?
buying a house with a private water supply | buying a house with a borehole | buying a house with a water spring | buying a house with a well | private water supply
buying a house with a private water supply | buying a house with a borehole | buying a house with a water spring | buying a house with a well | private water supply
buying a house with a private water supply | buying a house with a borehole | buying a house with a water spring | buying a house with a well | private water supply
buying a house with a private water supply | buying a house with a borehole | buying a house with a water spring | buying a house with a well | private water supply
Some common problems with private water supplies have been listed below

Most private water supplies will require disinfection. Normally this would involve using Ultra Violet (UV) light but other solutions may be considered.

Many Private water supplies have elevated levels of iron and manganese which require treatment for use as potable (drinking) water and also to remove the problem of discoloration in sanitary ware and laundry.
High levels of Iron and manganese are usually combined with a low pH. All three can often be treated with a single system.

Low pH (i.e. less than pH7) in water does not usually render it undrinkable but it does have a corrosive affect on copper & iron pipework including copper hot water cylinders. The acid can also raise the level of dissolved copper in the drinking water to unacceptable levels.

As water passes through the filter it collects dirt and sediment allowing the clean water back into the water system. At set intervals, normally in the early hours of the morning when there is little or no water usage, the unit cleans itself to free the dirt within and flush it down the drain. This leaves the filter clean and ready to begin collecting contaminants again the following day

Water Softeners are used to treat hard water. They work by an ion exchange process, replacing the calcium and magnesium in the water with sodium. They may also remove a small amount of iron or manganese, but for high levels, it is not recommended. 

There are other types of ion exchange filters to soften water, remove iron and manganese. Ecomix water conditioners and the CR100 & CR200 work by an ion exchange process, as with a water softener this requires salt for regeneration. They also remove iron, manganese, aluminium and soften the water

Existing Systems Supplied By Other Companies
Jn Environmental install and maintain Private Water Supply Systems installed by ourselves and by other water treatment companies. We regularly receive calls from customers wanting to leave their current supplier for a number of reasons such as being unhappy with the standard of service, inflated costs, lack of knowledge, inaccurate or lack of water testing, contact or attendance problems.

We don’t tie you in with complicated service contracts – it’s not our style.

Buying A House With A Spring Water Supply
Although the water we drink may look clean and clear it may not always be what it appears. Groundwater from spring supplies and boreholes in its natural state is generally of excellent quality, as the rocks act as a natural filter bed. However, as the water percolates through the ground into the aquifer, the dissolution of minerals continues to increase and in some instances resulting in high concentrations of nitrates, pesticides, iron, manganese, calcium and other minerals, hence the need for water treatment filters to eliminate these impurities.

Water supplies fall into two main categories: Mains Water which is supplied by a local water company such as United Utilities / Yorkshire Water, and Domestic Private Water Supplies which are supplied by wells, boreholes, springs, streams, rivers or lakes on your property.  

Buying A House With A Surface Water Supply
If you have a Domestic Private Water Supply - a Spring or Borehole, it will be necessary to provide us with a current up to date water analysis detailing the chemical and bacteriological content, together with details of your pumping equipment so that we can select the most efficient water treatment system, which will meet current water regulations. 

In the event that you do not have a current up to date water analysis we would be pleased to attend site, take samples, carry out a small survey of your existing pumping / water treatment equipment and then interpret the results and submit our recommendations.
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