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Some causes of brown well water—like excess tannins or dissolved iron—don’t pose a health risk. In other cases, harmful bacteria might be the culprit. If your well water has suddenly turned brown, it’s a good idea to use a home water test kit to get a better sense of what’s going on with your water. Consider calling a professional for an expert opinion before drinking the water and hoping for the best.

DIY kits are available for basic air quality testing, but professional services provide more comprehensive results and recommendations. While a DIY kit may seem cost-effective, a professional assessment is more thorough. Inspectors are better equipped to catch all pollutants and hazards, and you'll still need a professional to verify and act on DIY test results. Furthermore, some kits don't test for certain pollutants or only detect their presence without measuring specific levels (like mold spores). It's generally better to opt for a detailed professional assessment.

Several different measurements may be used to determine the amount of lead in water. The most common unit of measurement is micrograms per liter (µg/L), which is the same as parts per billion. Another measurement is milligrams per liter (mg/L), which is the same as parts per million.

You can paint over lead paint, or “encapsulate” it with a special paint that includes an ingredient called an encapsulant. The EPA approves encapsulation as a lead paint removal method as long as the paint remains undisturbed. Standard types of paint without an “encapsulant” from the big box stores or hardware stores do not meet EPA standards for remediation of lead-based paint.