asset: well-water-testing-at-property-transfer

asset_type: testing-requirement

body: For each US state whose statute or health department states a position: whether private well water must be tested when a home is sold, what must be tested for, and who is responsible. Around eleven states require testing at transfer by law (New Jersey's Private Well Testing Act since 2002; Oregon's ORS 448.271 makes the seller test for arsenic, nitrate and total coliform and report results to the health authority); most states require nothing, and in several the requirement is really the lender's (FHA/VA/conventional), not the state's — Louisiana's health department states verbatim that 'testing is not required in the State of Louisiana' while describing the lender-letter service it runs. No page assembles which states are which. Answers 'do I have to test the well water to sell my house in [state]', 'what does [state] require well water to be tested for at closing', and 'is a well test required for the buyer's loan or by law'. States whose authority states nothing get no record.

key_field: state

licence: unknown

title: Private well water testing at property sale: which states require it

type: dataset


body:
**State:** Louisiana

**Testing required at sale?:** Although testing is not required in the State of Louisiana, it is strongly recommended that owners test their wells for Total Coliform/E. Coli bacteria at least annually

**Who tests / pays:** Private water wells are unregulated in the State of Louisiana, leaving owners responsible for any maintenance, care and testing of their wells

**Authority:** Real Estate Well Testing Requirements

> Private water wells are unregulated in the State of Louisiana, leaving owners responsible for any maintenance, care and testing of their wells. Lenders often require some type of testing for real estate transfers and may defer to the regulations of the state where the transaction is occurring. Although testing is not required in the State of Louisiana, it is strongly recommended that owners test their wells for Total Coliform/E. Coli bacteria at least annually.

Source: <https://ldh.la.gov/page/real-estate-testing-requirements>

citation: Real Estate Well Testing Requirements

state: Louisiana

title: Louisiana — Private well water testing at property sale: which states require it

type: testing-requirement


body:
**State:** Oregon

**Testing required at sale?:** In any transaction for the sale or exchange of real estate that includes a well that supplies ground water for domestic purposes, the seller of the real estate shall, upon accepting an offer to purchase that real estate, have the well tested for arsenic, nitrates and total coliform bacteria

**What must be tested:** arsenic, nitrates and total coliform bacteria

**Who tests / pays:** the seller of the real estate

**Authority:** 448.271

> In any transaction for the sale or exchange of real estate that includes a well that supplies ground water for domestic purposes, the seller of the real estate shall, upon accepting an offer to purchase that real estate, have the well tested for arsenic, nitrates and total coliform bacteria. The Oregon Health Authority also may, by rule, require additional tests for specific contaminants in specific areas of public health concern. The seller shall submit the results of the tests required under this section to the authority and to the buyer within 90 days of receiving the results of the tests.

Source: <https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors448.html>

responsible_party: the seller of the real estate

state: Oregon

title: Oregon — Private well water testing at property sale: which states require it