Does my mortgage require a well water test in New Hampshire?

Does New Hampshire require a water test when you buy?

No. NH Housing's Water Wellness guide, written with help from NHDES, notes there are no statewide testing or treatment requirements for private wells, and recommends owners test every three to five years. Sellers must disclose certain water information (see NH seller disclosures), but a test is up to the buyer unless the loan requires one.

What does NH Housing require?

NH Housing's 2024 lender notice says its loans on homes with a private well need a passing test for E. coli, total coliform, lead, nitrate and nitrite, and, since August 2024, arsenic and copper. Buyers can waive the test by completing NH Housing's Water Wellness in New Hampshire course on or before the day they sign the purchase and sale agreement. The waiver isn't available on USDA Rural Development or VA loans, and if you waive, NH Housing takes no responsibility for the well. NH Housing still advises every buyer of a home with a well to get a water test.

When does FHA require a test?

HUD Handbook 4000.1 says the water must meet the local or state health authority's standards, or EPA standards where there are none. It lists cases where a well water test is required, including:

• New construction.
• The appraiser reports a problem with the well or the water.
• The water is reported or known to be unsafe.
• The home is near a dump, landfill, industrial site, farm or other possible source of hazardous waste.

The sample must be collected and tested by a disinterested third party, such as a commercial lab or the local health authority; the buyer, seller or another interested party can't collect or carry it. FHA also won't insure a home whose water comes from a spring, lake, river, sand-point well or artesian well, or uses a mechanical chlorinator. Many people in New England call any drilled well an "artesian well," so if the listing says artesian, ask Tom how the well will be treated before you count on an FHA loan. Well and septic distances matter too; see FHA's 2026 well distance change.

What about conventional loans?

Fannie Mae's appraisal guidance focuses on whether the well and septic are on the property, or covered by a legally binding access and maintenance agreement, and on any environmental problems that affect them. Whether a water test is required can depend on the lender and what the appraisal finds, so ask early.

Should I test even if my loan doesn't require it?

NH Housing and NHDES both say yes. Ask the seller for recent results, and if there's no test, consider making your offer contingent on one. Finding a problem like arsenic doesn't have to end the deal; it may mean budgeting for treatment. See the well and septic guide and home inspection guide.