Well Inspection and Water Testing in Kerrville, TX
Kerrville Well Drilling inspects wells and tests well water across Kerrville and Kerr County, Texas. A private well has no utility standing behind it. No one checks the water for you and no one warns you when the pump is near the end. On the plateau, where wells are deep and droughts are real, knowing what you actually have matters even more, especially when you are about to buy the land it sits on.
The pre-purchase inspection is the one we get asked for most. A Hill Country place on a well hides an expensive system that a standard home inspection barely touches. Before you close, you want to know what the well produces, how much water sits over the pump, what shape the pump is in, and whether the water is safe. Those facts are worth having while you still have room to negotiate.
What the Inspection Covers
We measure the standing water level and the pump depth, run a flow test to see what the well sustains under real demand, and check the pressure tank, the switch, and the wiring. We look hard at the yield and the cushion of water over the pump, because on the plateau a thin cushion is what turns into a dry well in the next drought. We check the wellhead seal against surface water, then pull a sample for a certified lab. When we are done you know the well's output, the pump's condition, and the water's quality.
Testing the Water Itself
The lab test starts with bacteria, because coliform and E. coli are the signals that surface contamination is reaching the well, and fractured limestone can move that contamination fast after a hard rain. In Hill Country rock we also watch hardness and total dissolved solids, and near septic and agriculture we watch nitrate. We take the sample correctly and read you the numbers straight: what is a harmless nuisance like hard water, what is worth treating, and what needs action.
Buying a Hill Country place on a well, or wondering what is in your water? Call (830) 555-0173.
I am buying a Hill Country place on a well. Should I inspect it?
Yes, before you close, every time, and it matters even more out here. A deep plateau well is an expensive system to fix, and a weak or drought-prone well is a real risk on this land. An inspection tells you the pump condition, the standing water level, how much the well produces, and whether the water is safe. A tired well found before closing is a negotiation. Found after, it is your bill, and out here that bill can be large.
What does the inspection check on a Kerr County well?
We check what you cannot see from the kitchen tap. The standing water level and the pump depth, the flow rate the well sustains under load, the pressure tank and switch, the wellhead and its seal, and the wiring. On the plateau we pay close attention to yield and to how much water sits over the pump, because a well with a thin cushion is the one that fails in a drought. Then we pull a sample for a certified lab.
What should Hill Country well water be tested for?
The baseline is bacteria, mainly coliform and E. coli, because those signal surface contamination reaching the well. In this limestone country, hardness and total dissolved solids are worth knowing too, since the water moves through rock that adds minerals. Near septic systems and agriculture, nitrate matters. We pull the sample properly and send it to a certified lab. Guessing about your drinking water is not worth it when a test is this cheap.
How often should I test my well?
A yearly bacteria test is the standard for any household well and it is worth doing. Test again any time the water changes in taste, smell, or color, after any work on the well, and after a heavy rain or flood, which in the Hill Country can move contamination fast through fractured rock. A private well has no utility watching it for you, so the testing falls to the owner. It is a small habit that catches a real problem early.
My water is hard and leaves scale. Is that a problem?
Hard water is extremely common in Hill Country limestone, and by itself it is a nuisance rather than a health risk. It scales fixtures, spots glassware, and shortens the life of water heaters. Whether it is worth treating is a comfort-and-cost decision, not a safety one, and it is separate from the bacteria test that actually tells you the water is safe. We test the water, read you the numbers, and tell you which category each result falls in.