Soil and Water Sampling

Barrier collects soil and water samples to be sent to and analyzed by a Certified Environmental Laboratory

Soil and Water Sampling can be done for many reasons. The most common reasons, in Westchester and Putnam County, is to check for the presence of or levels of bacteria and contaminants. All samples need to be collected by an experienced professional and analyzed by a certified lab.

If you are buying, or selling, a house that has well water, the water from the faucet should be analyzed. This is done to make sure there are no impurities or bacteria in your drinking water. In Westchester, the Department of Health will require a well water sample when selling a property using well water. Regular testing most be done on leased properties and new wells. This is even more important in older homes with aging wells and homes that have been vacant. For more information, visit The Westchester County Department of Health http://health.westchestergov.com/private-well-water

Another example could be if you are buying a house with and oil tank. Sometimes checking the soil around the oil tank for petroleum contamination is a good alternative to Oil Tank Testing. This can indicate if the current tank or a previous tank has leaked. This is can also be helpful in proving previous tanks did not leak. Soil borings can be used to collect soil samples from below the bottom of the tank or in the vicinity of the suspected previous tank grave. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has guidelines regarding the results. In most cases any contamination found in soil must be excavated and disposed of.

Whether collecting soil or water samples, a professional should be used. Barrier’s staff is well trained in the collection of soil and water samples. We follow strict guidelines that will ensure the data is collected in order to give the most accurate results.