Laboratory water testing to the standards FHA and VA lenders require on properties served by a private well, and worth doing on any well property, financed or not.
FHA and VA financing on a property with a private water supply requires laboratory testing showing the water meets applicable standards. Testing typically covers total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrates, nitrites and lead, and the results must come from a certified laboratory rather than a field kit. Samples are collected on site following the required chain-of-custody procedure.
Private wells are not monitored by any agency. Nobody tests the water but you. Agricultural runoff, septic proximity, and the natural mineral content of South Florida groundwater all affect what comes out of the tap, and none of it is visible or reliably detectable by taste.
Certified laboratory results in the format your lender requires, with a plain-English explanation of what each result means and whether treatment or further action is recommended.