If you have a home under contract, supplied by well water, consider having a water quantity test to ensure the home’s water supply can meet daily household demands for drinking, cooking, bathing, and other uses. Testing for water quantity verifies that the well, delivers an adequate and consistent flow rate under normal usage conditions and provides insight into how fast the well recovers after use. This is especially important for homes with private wells where water availability may vary with season, aquifer levels, or nearby construction. Insufficient water quantity can affect the household’s comfort and functionality and may signal underlying issues like pump problems and low or limited water supply. A flow test can this early helps avoid unexpected water shortage, allows for planning remediation or system upgrades, and prevents costly inconvenience after move-in. Our water quantity tests (also called water flow tests) are run at the exterior of the home.  The inspector will set up a hose at the exterior of the home allowing water to flow continuously for two hours at a flow rate of 5 gallons per minute. This equates to 300 gallons per hour or 600 gallons over the two hour period. The water quantity test should give you a pretty good idea of the functionality of the system and whether it will provide an adequate supply of water to the home.  Having a well inspection with a flow test and water quality evaluation is highly recommended for buyer protection and negotiating power in a real estate transaction.