What to Check Before Buying a Home on a Well in Paso Robles

What should you check before buying a home on a well in Paso Robles?

Check three things before your investigation period ends: the well’s history and records, a flow test that shows how much water it produces, and a laboratory test of the water itself. The California Department of Water Resources identified the Paso Robles Area basin as critically overdrafted, and a 2022 County memorandum counts 236 dry wells reported in the basin since 2013. San Luis Obispo County Environmental Health also says private well water quality isn’t regulated or monitored by an outside agency, so the testing falls to you as the buyer.

A home on a private well can have everything you want and still leave you hauling water. That’s the part that doesn’t show up in the photos. Here’s what I tell buyers: the well is part of the house, and it deserves the same scrutiny as the roof or the foundation.

Buyers looking at North County acreage are asking about wells constantly right now. If you’re looking at a home in Paso Robles and surrounding areas, including rural parcels, find out early whether the property runs on a private well or city water. Across San Luis Obispo County and North Santa Barbara County, a well is common outside city service areas, and the checks below apply to any of them.

Why the Paso Robles basin changes the questions

Homes over the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin come with a few extra questions. According to the Department of Water Resources, its 2016 Bulletin 118 Interim Update identified the Paso Robles Area basin as critically overdrafted. That’s a classification of the basin, not a verdict on any one home, and your well’s performance depends on its depth, its construction, and where the parcel sits.

A technical memorandum prepared for San Luis Obispo County in May 2022 analyzed reports to the state’s Household Water Supply Shortage system. It counted 236 dry wells reported in the basin since 2013, 141 from 2013 through 2017 and 95 from January 2018 through 2022, and it says most of them are domestic wells used for household water supplies.

The same memorandum says at least 74 of those dry well issues were resolved by lowering the pump, deepening the well, or replacing the well. A dry well isn’t always the end of the road, but each of those fixes takes money and time, which is why you want the well’s history before you commit.

The Department of Water Resources adds that dry wells can have many causes, including aging infrastructure like corroded wells and declining groundwater levels. It also says its reports are undoubtedly under-representative of all dry wells, because reporting is voluntary.

The checks that belong in your investigation period

Your investigation period under the C.A.R. Residential Purchase Agreement defaults to 17 days. Well work can take longer than a typical inspection to schedule, so start on day one. Here’s the order I walk buyers through.

1. Get the well records. Ask the seller in writing for everything they have on the well: drilling records, depth, pump age, repair invoices, and any history of low water or delivered water.
2. Ask about storage. Ask whether the home has a storage tank, and how many gallons it holds.
3. Order a flow test. Hire a qualified well contractor to inspect the pump and equipment and run a flow test, so you know how much water the well produces.
4. Order a laboratory water test. Start with the primary drinking water standards and total coliform bacteria, as the County’s well owner’s checklist advises.
5. Ask about permits and other wells. Ask County Environmental Health about the well’s permit records, and whether the property has any inactive or abandoned wells.
6. Ask about the basin rules. Ask the County’s Groundwater Sustainability department whether anything in the basin rules applies to the parcel you’re considering.

These are the seller questions I ask first, and I’d put each one in writing.

• Has the home ever run low on water or run out, and when?
• Has water ever been delivered by truck?
• When was the pump last repaired or replaced?
• Does the well serve only this property, or is it shared?
• Is there a water treatment system, and who services it?

A seller who answers these plainly and has records to back it up gives you a head start. A seller who can’t answer them tells you to lean harder on the testing.

A flow test tells you what a visual check can’t

A well can look fine and still produce too little for a full household. A flow test measures output over time, and a contractor can also tell you about the condition of the pump and the pressure system. If the well is older, ask the contractor what a dry spell could mean for that specific well.

The water test is your job as the buyer

According to San Luis Obispo County Environmental Health, “The water quality from private (non-commercial) wells is not regulated or monitored by any outside agency or company,” and it’s the well owner’s responsibility to make sure the water is safe. The County lists bacteria, heavy metals, nitrates, radon, and many chemicals among the contaminants that can only be found by laboratory testing, and the laboratory will supply sampling bottles and can help you sample your own well.

The County’s well owner’s checklist says to retest whenever you suspect contamination or the water’s taste, smell, or look changes, and to test annually for any contaminants of concern an initial test finds. It also cites the EPA’s guidance to test annually for total coliform bacteria and nitrate.

If the well is near a landfill or a business like a machine shop, dry cleaner, gas station, or auto repair shop, the checklist says to test for additional pollutants, including volatile organic compounds, metals, total dissolved solids, and petroleum hydrocarbons. It also says to keep the well’s construction report and its maintenance and water testing results, which is why those records belong at the top of your request to the seller.

Don’t overlook the rest of the system

A home on a well often has a septic system too. I cover what applies in my post on septic inspections in San Luis Obispo County. Ask about any extra wells on the property too.

Under California Well Standards Bulletin 74-90, Section 21, the County says an inactive well is considered abandoned after one year without use. A licensed C-57 contractor must destroy it unless the owner shows an intent to use it again, and owners who want to keep an inactive well submit a Declaration to Maintain an Inactive Well to Environmental Health. I explain more about that issue in my post on abandoned wells in Santa Barbara County.

What to do if the numbers worry you

A weak flow test or a failed water test doesn’t have to end the deal. It gives you facts to negotiate with. Depending on what comes back, you may ask for repairs, a credit, a treatment system, or more time, or you may decide to cancel within your contingency period.

Ask the seller what the household did when the well ran low. The Department of Water Resources lists hauled water, bottled water, and on-site storage tanks among the interim fixes for a dry well. Which path fits depends on your contract and the findings, so go through it with me before you decide.

Rules and requirements change, and the County and the state are the sources to confirm with before you act. A listing can’t tell you whether a well is sound, and the testing does.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin overdrafted?

Yes, according to the Department of Water Resources. Its 2016 Bulletin 118 Interim Update identified the Paso Robles Area basin as critically overdrafted. That describes the basin as a whole, so your own well still needs its own testing.

Does the County test the water in a private well?

No. San Luis Obispo County Environmental Health says the water quality from private wells isn’t regulated or monitored by any outside agency or company, and that it’s the owner’s responsibility to make sure the water is safe.

What causes a well to go dry?

There isn’t one cause. The Department of Water Resources says dry wells can come from drought and non-drought factors, including aging infrastructure like corroded wells and declining groundwater levels. A flow test and the well’s repair history help show which risk applies to a specific well.

How many dry wells have been reported in the Paso Robles basin?

A County memorandum from May 2022 counts 236 dry wells reported to the state’s Household Water Supply Shortage system in the basin since 2013. The Department of Water Resources says its dry well data is under-representative of all dry wells, because reporting is voluntary. Those reports describe the basin, not every home in it.

Can I buy a home on a well if I’m financing it?

It depends on your lender and loan type, so ask your lender before you write the offer whether they’ll require a water test or a flow test. I can help you build that into your timeline.

Before you write the offer

A home on a well in Paso Robles needs three answers before your investigation period ends: the well’s history, its flow, and the quality of the water. Get those in hand and you can decide with facts instead of a listing photo.

Tell me which home you’re looking at, and I’ll help you line up the seller’s records and the right professionals before your deadlines start. Start a Conversation whether you’re ready to write an offer or still comparing options.

About Wina Gill

Wina Gill is a Realtor and Certified Negotiation Expert with Century 21 Masters, based in Arroyo Grande and serving San Luis Obispo County and North Santa Barbara County. With more than 10 years in real estate, she has completed more than 100 sales totaling over $90 million in sales volume. Wina works as a solo agent, so clients work directly with her from the first conversation through closing. She writes about Central Coast communities, neighborhood differences, local market conditions, and the property-specific factors that can affect buying, owning, and selling a home, helping people understand their options before making a move. Reach her at 805-550-0161 or winagillhomes.com. DRE #02006343

Buying or selling in San Luis Obispo County or North Santa Barbara County? Call or text Wina Gill for clear answers about your property, from your first question through closing. 805-550-0161 | Century 21 Masters Luxury | DRE #02006343