After buying her first-ever home, one New Jersey buyer shared the troubling results of well water tests that showed bacterial contamination alongside the presence of the forever chemicals PFAS and PFOS.
The buyer took her story to Reddit's r/FirstTimeHomeBuyer forum for advice and suggestions.
Here's what to know
Posting in the Reddit community, the buyer said her contract allowed them to back out over the well only if the sellers refused to fix the problem. And despite the seller installing a UV light and filtration system, the original poster described being "filled with regret and anxiety."
The OP then said her attorney still wanted to proceed with closing using a $7,500 seller escrow holdback even though the retest results were still pending. She wrote that what bothered her most was the possibility of losing a $75,000 deposit if she walked away.
She also asked whether the lender had cleared the file without being told about the failed water test and whether another failed result would still require them to complete the purchase.
Commenters overwhelmingly told the buyer not to brush aside unresolved drinking-water issues.
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One advised the OP to "Ask the seller to move the closing date until after the results are returned. Closing dates are rescheduled all the time."
Another wrote, "There's a reason they call those 'forever chemicals' and why hundreds of thousands of veterans, myself included, have cancers, immune disorders, skin diseases, etc. from exposure to them. They can be remediated in a well, but it takes a lot more than shocking the well or using a UV filter."
A third commenter recommended taking the original lab report to a well contractor, getting an estimate for the most realistic, costliest fix and the time it would take, and using that figure to decide how much escrow would actually make sense.
Others questioned whether the sellers' fix addressed the issue at all. One asked whether the system came from "a professional water company" or if it was "just something they bought off Amazon to kick the can down the road so the next failing test lands on the other side of closing."
What can be done?
Commenters concentrated on what the buyer could still do before signing. A leading suggestion was to push back the closing date until the retest came in, instead of closing first and relying on a $7,500 holdback afterward.
They also said the buyer needed answers in writing. One commenter told the buyer not to close until "your own attorney and lender confirm in writing what happens if the retest fails," to protect both the financing and the much larger $75,000 already at stake.
Commenters further urged the buyer to confirm what remediation had actually been installed, who recommended it, and whether the escrow proposal matched realistic treatment costs and timelines.
One commenter summarized the general feeling in the thread, writing, "you're not being paranoid, you're being pressured to buy a house with unresolved drinking water."
The buyer then said the warnings about PFAS treatment and possible lender issues had convinced her to wait.
Where can I learn more?
For more context on PFAS contamination, private wells, and the water-treatment questions worrying this New Jersey buyer, start with these stories.
• In New Jersey, an overlooked forever chemical turned up in 91% of tap water.
• New Jersey secured up to $2.5 billion from DuPont and 3M for PFAS cleanup.
• US experts say PFAS, wells, and health risks can still warrant a filter.
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