You have no doubt heard of a wellness check. They used to call it a physical exam. When its called a wellness check, they can charge a lot more for the exam.

People are not the only ones that need wellness checks. Drinking water wells need them as well. They draw their water from deep water supplies, and only regular testing will ensure that the supplies remain toxic free.

From my perspective, most people who rely on onsite wells for drinking water are not testing the water on a regular basis. And that is a big mistake that I do not want you to make. True, testing costs money. But, getting sick because you did not test is crazy. And even if you do not care about your own health, how about your kids?

Aquifers are underground streams. The streams begin at one place and flow underneath your property, and many other properties. While they are flowing, they can pick up contamination from a variety of sources.

Naturally existing contamination can contaminate well water. For example, radon comes from naturally existing rock formations. As the groundwater passes by or near these formations, it picks up and carries the radon.

Heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, may naturally exist and be absorbed into the aquifer.

Aquifers also pick up contamination from man made sources. A frequently encountered example of this is gasoline from the leaking underground tanks of nearby gas stations.

I am sure that many of you have seen closed gas stations with lots of soil in their parking lots. Often, this means that once-leaking tanks are being removed. People with wells that are down hill from these tanks may have consumed the gasoline in their drinking water. Even some uphill residents can be affected.

Factories and industry also add to drinking water contamination. Years can pass from the time such contamination begins until when it is detected. So a lot of dirty water may be consumed before anyone knows there is a problem.

Also, there are landfills scattered throughout the U.S. that have not been properly closed. When it rains, the water can run through these landfills and transmit contaminants from within the landfill into the drinking water.. This process is called "leaching." The mix of water and contaminants is called "leachate."

If you think that you would smell or taste bad stuff in your drinking water before it could hurt you, you may be wrong. Many toxic substances cannot be detected by smell or taste until they reach concentrations much higher than believed to be safe.

Which means that you need to conduct well water wellness checks on regular intervals. Testing the water, using a qualified laboratory, is the only way to understand what it is that you and your family are drinking.

Use a certified lab to test the samples. Not every lab is certified. Check with your state regulators for a list of these labs.

What will you test for? Ask both your local and state health officials. The lab may be able to help, but remember, the more the lab tests for, the more money the lab makes.

Not testing does save money. But it can cost you your health.

The information provided in this column is written by Stuart Lieberman,a practicing environmental attorney, and is for general information purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be used in place of legal advice.

Stuart Lieberman, Esq., and IRED.Com, Inc., will not accept any responsibilty for any reliance on the information in this column or any damages whatsoever resulting from reading this column.