NO-CHARGE PRIVATE WELL AND SEPTIC ASSESSMENTS FOR HOMEOWNERS
Private Well & Septic Assessments
WHAT WE DO
CU Technical Assistance Providers conduct in-person Private Well and Septic System Assessments, identifying safety or reliability issues. They offer practical solutions for homeowners to access federal and state funding for necessary repairs or construction.
LET'S TALK
Brett Capps
Private Well Assessments
During a private well assessment, a technical assistance provider will:
- Identify potential threats to your well
- Identify potential sources of well contamination
- Visually inspect your well
- Review well construction
- Evaluate water source
Septic System Assessments
During a septic system assessment, a technical assistance provider will:
- Identify potential system component failures
- Identify inflow or infiltration of your system
- Verify proper flow from your structure to the system
Did you know?
As the southern regional affiliate of RCAP (Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Inc.) we provide managerial, technical, and financial assistance to Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.
If you’re on a private well, that’s the right question, because the answer is on you, not a utility. Well water can look, smell, and taste fine and still carry things you can’t see. The only way to know is to test it.
Common contaminants in rural wells:
-Bacteria (like E. coli):** often a sign that surface water or waste is reaching your well.
-Nitrates:** can seep in from fertilizer, livestock, or a nearby septic system, and are especially risky for infants and pregnant women.
-Arsenic and other naturally occurring minerals:** present in the groundwater across parts of our region.
-A damaged or poorly built well:** a cracked casing, a bad seal, or a wellhead too close to a septic field can let contamination in.
A Communities Unlimited assessment checks for all of this. We test your water and inspect the well itself, then tell you plainly what’s going on and what to do next.
1. We come to you. A CU technician visits your property and inspects your well and wellhead in person.
2. We collect a water sample. That sample goes to a certified third-party laboratory for analysis. We coordinate it; you don’t pay for it.
3. You get your results. We walk you through what the lab found, whether it’s bacteria, nitrates, or something else, in plain language.
4. You get a plan. If there’s a problem, we lay out your options, including funding and low-interest loans for repairs or a new system.
During a private well assessment, a Communities Unlimited technician will:
– Collect a water sample for lab testing by a certified third-party lab
– Identify potential threats to your well
– Identify potential sources of well contamination
– Visually inspect your well and wellhead
– Review your well construction
– Evaluate your water source
During a septic system assessment, a technician will:
– Identify potential failures in system components
– Check for inflow or infiltration into the system
– Verify proper flow from your home to the system
Found a problem? You’re not on your own. CU can connect you to federal and state funding for the work, and we offer low-interest loans to homeowners for the construction, repair, or replacement of a well or septic system.
The goal is simple: clean, safe water you can count on, and a system that protects your home and your land for the long run.
Tell us about your well or septic system and we’ll set up an assessment in your area, at no charge. Contact Brett Capps at (865) 995-8168 or brett.capps@communitiesu.org
Yes. As part of a no-charge assessment, a CU technician collects a water sample and sends it to a certified third-party laboratory. You get the results and a clear explanation of what they mean.
Nothing. Communities Unlimited offers private well water testing and septic assessments at no charge to rural homeowners across the seven states we serve.
Common sources include bacteria such as E. coli, nitrates from fertilizer or septic systems, naturally occurring arsenic, and problems with the well itself like a cracked casing or a poor seal.
We work alongside rural homeowners across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Alabama.
