When you bought your house, the bank required a water test. You got the results. Everything passed. You moved in. You've been drinking the water ever since.
Here's what you should know about that test: it was designed to protect the bank's collateral, not your health. Those are not the same thing.
What Does the Standard Mortgage Water Test Cover?
The standard water test required for most Connecticut mortgages on properties with private wells covers total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrates and nitrites, pH, hardness, iron, manganese, and turbidity.
This is a reasonable baseline. It catches the most common acute health risks — bacterial contamination and high nitrates — and the most common aesthetic problems. If you're buying a house and the seller's well has a sewage leak contaminating it, this test will catch it.
What it won't catch is the slow, chronic, invisible contamination that's increasingly common in Connecticut's groundwater.
What Contaminants Does the Mortgage Test Miss?
PFAS: The standard mortgage test does not include PFAS. Testing for PFAS requires a separate analysis — typically $150-$300 additional. Statewide testing in Connecticut is finding PFAS in wells across the state, including in areas with no obvious industrial sources.
Radon: Not included in the standard test. The EPA estimates radon causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year, and radon in water is a significant issue in Connecticut's granite-bedrock areas — Litchfield County, eastern CT, parts of the Connecticut River Valley.
Uranium: Not included. Found in elevated levels in eastern Connecticut's granite areas. According to the ATSDR, uranium is both a heavy metal and a radioactive element that causes kidney damage and increases cancer risk with long-term exposure.
Arsenic: The standard test includes arsenic, but the threshold used in many mortgage tests is 50 ppb — five times the EPA's current maximum contaminant level of 10 ppb. A test that passes at 50 ppb may still have arsenic at levels the EPA considers unsafe.
Lead: The standard test does not include lead. Lead doesn't come from the aquifer — it comes from the pipes. Testing for lead requires sampling from the tap after water has been sitting in the pipes, which is different from the standard well water collection method.
Why the Bank's Test Is Designed the Way It Is
The bank's interest in your water test is narrow: is the water safe enough that the property is habitable and the collateral is sound? Acute contamination — bacteria, high nitrates — affects habitability immediately. Chronic contamination from PFAS or radon affects health over years or decades, which is outside the bank's risk horizon.
This is not a conspiracy. It's a structural mismatch between what the bank needs to know and what you need to know.
The CT Department of Public Health states explicitly in its guidance that "water tests done during home purchases are usually required by the bank providing the mortgage and do not necessarily cover all contaminants." That's the state health department telling you, in official guidance, that the test your bank required is not comprehensive.
Buying a home? Check the water first. Enter your ZIP code at CheckYourTap.com to see what's in your tap water — free, in 30 seconds.
What a Comprehensive Test Looks Like
| Category | What to Test | Why | |---|---|---| | Microbiology | Total coliform, E. coli | Acute health risk | | Nutrients | Nitrates, nitrites | Agricultural runoff, septic | | Metals | Lead, arsenic, uranium, iron, manganese | Geology, pipes, health | | Radiologicals | Radon | Granite bedrock geology | | Organics | PFAS panel (29 compounds) | Industrial, military contamination | | Physical | pH, hardness, turbidity | Corrosivity, aesthetics |
A test covering all of these categories runs $400-$700 depending on the lab and the specific parameters. That's real money. It's also less than one month's mortgage payment on most Connecticut homes, and it tells you what you're actually drinking.
The Timing Question
If you bought your house more than five years ago, your original test is a historical document, not a current assessment. Groundwater conditions change. Climate events change them faster. The Giroux family in East Windsor had clean water in 2016 and unsafe water in 2021 — their full story illustrates why a single test is never enough. Their original test was accurate when it was done. It just didn't stay accurate.
If you're buying a house, negotiate for a comprehensive test. If you're already in the house, schedule one. For a town-by-town breakdown of what to test for based on your location, see our practical guide to water quality in Connecticut's major towns.
Keep Reading
- The Water Test You Got When You Bought Your House Is Worthless Now
- Connecticut's Crumbling Foundation Crisis Taught Us One Thing. The Well Water Crisis Is Next.
- A Practical Guide to Water Quality in Connecticut's Major Towns — What's Actually in the Water Where You Live
- Your Water Quality Report Arrived. Here's How to Actually Read It.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Connecticut mortgage water test check for?
The standard mortgage water test covers total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrates and nitrites, pH, hardness, iron, manganese, and turbidity. It catches acute risks like bacterial contamination and high nitrates, plus common aesthetic issues. It does not test for PFAS, radon, uranium, or lead — contaminants that cause chronic health effects over years of exposure and are increasingly common in Connecticut groundwater.
How much does a comprehensive well water test cost in Connecticut?
A comprehensive test covering bacteria, nitrates, metals (lead, arsenic, uranium), radiologicals (radon), and PFAS (29 compounds) costs $400–$700 depending on the lab. That's less than one month's mortgage payment on most Connecticut homes. Use a CT DPH-certified lab for accurate results. If you bought your home more than five years ago, your original test is outdated — groundwater conditions change.
Should I test for PFAS when buying a house in Connecticut?
Yes. The standard mortgage water test does not include PFAS, and statewide testing is finding PFAS in wells across Connecticut — including in areas with no obvious industrial sources. A separate PFAS analysis costs $150–$300 as an add-on and covers 29 PFAS compounds. Given that the EPA has set new PFAS limits at 4 parts per trillion due to cancer and immune system risks, this is essential information before purchasing a home with a private well.
Sources: CT DPH Private Drinking Water in Connecticut guidance; CT DPH Private Well Testing requirements; Connecticut Well Water Testing Guidelines (WaterFlo, 2024); CT DPH Bathing and Showering Guidance for Private Wells.