Request these documents early
| Request | Check against | If it is missing or inconsistent |
|---|---|---|
| Completion or drilling report | Agency identifier, well tag, construction date, depth and location description | Ask the agency or driller for the underlying file; keep the property match unresolved. |
| Later construction, replacement or sealing records | Current well and the earlier report | Ask which well serves the home and whether an older well remains on the property. |
| Inspection and flow/recovery information | Date, actual system assessed, test method and observations | Discuss an appropriate on-site assessment with a qualified well professional. |
| Laboratory water-test report | Sample date, sampling location, laboratory and substances tested | Use the local health authority and a certified laboratory to determine current testing needs. |
| Pump, treatment and service paperwork | Installed equipment, service dates and recurring problems | Ask the seller what was repaired, replaced or treated and why. |
This is a research checklist. Your contract deadlines, lender requirements and local rules need to be checked with the appropriate professionals and agencies; a nearby-record report does not settle them.
A real record changes the questions, not the purchase verdict
Suppose a seller provides WRB 001.0130. This is a hypothetical seller conversation using an actual public entry, not a claim about a property sale. NHDES OneStop record 001.0130 ↗ reports a domestic bedrock well, 260 ft total depth, 120 ft casing and 7.5 GPM tested yield. The entry was checked on October 24, 2026.
Those facts support asking whether the seller's report and the physical identifier describe this well, whether it has been altered since construction, and where the test method and duration are documented. They do not establish today's household supply or drinking-water quality.
A second actual entry, WRB 001.0129, reports a deeper 300 ft well with a lower 1.5 GPM tested yield and no index test duration. Buying the deeper well is not automatically the better decision. Obtain the missing test context and a current assessment for the actual serving system.
Use a three-part evidence note
- Identity: candidate record ID, source link, seller document reference, physical tag if available, and whether the property relationship is confirmed or unresolved.
- History: reported completion and later work, construction fields, historical test information and missing values.
- Current condition: dated inspection, flow/recovery findings and laboratory results for the serving well. Keep these separate from the historical index.
For example: “Candidate WRB 001.0130; identifier matches the supplied document; physical well confirmation pending; historic tested yield 7.5 GPM; current flow and laboratory results not yet obtained.” This is an example of how to record uncertainty, not a conclusion about the real well.
Questions to resolve before relying on the record
- Which well actually serves the home, and are there other or unused wells?
- Does the document describe new construction, alteration, replacement or sealing?
- Are there known seasonal supply problems, treatment needs or recurring repairs?
- What current inspection and laboratory evidence is available for this system?
- Which unanswered issues need an agency, laboratory or well professional before your decision deadline?
Testing and inspection are separate evidence
EPA recommends certified drinking-water laboratories and additional testing when local risks or system changes warrant it. Use EPA's private-well testing guidance and laboratory route and your local health authority to plan the work. A construction depth or a historic yield is not a current test of water quality.
Ask the well professional to explain the scope and limitations of their assessment. Do not turn a one-time observation or a record comparison into a guarantee of future performance.
Check what your state's search can provide before paying
Georgia's imported records are agricultural context, Hawaii's imported subset contains locations without retained depth or yield, and Florida's snapshot is concentrated in the north. Other sources also vary. Read the coverage comparison and the free result first.
An optional Property Report organizes available nearby records and follow-up questions. It does not obtain a new inspection, establish ownership, produce laboratory results or fill missing source fields. If the available evidence does not answer your research question, use the agency and property documents instead.
Continue with the annotated log-reading guide or the reproducible six-index audit.
Scope: public-record interpretation. No independent professional review is claimed. Report a factual or source error.