Christine M. Smith of Buyers Brokers Only, LLC works out of an office in Canton. In my work around Boston, I don’t have much experience with wells. So, Christine offered her advice, so that the readers in the suburbs and beyond can drink up in good health.

Many of the Globe readers probably live in a house or apartment with municipal water. However there are plenty of homes both in more remote areas and even in some of the suburbs not far from Boston that have well water.

Buyers unfamiliar with wells need to remember that in addition to their regular home inspection, they should inspect the well. Most people remember to have the well tested for water quality. It can be tested for high levels of chemicals, minerals, radon and more. The possibilities are endless and buyers need to do their due diligence to make sure that the water quality test they are getting is comprehensive. In addition, some municipalities may require that the water be tested annually for potability.

However, buyers also want to remember to have the well tested for capacity. A well inspection is done by a separate company in the business of installing, repairing and testing wells. I recently had a buyer who considered buying a house with a well in a nearby community. She was able to find a reputable well company who came out and tested the well. They checked to see the rate of gallons per minute the well was pumping out but also checked to see how long the pump would run before the well would run dry and how long it would take the well to recover.

In talking with the well company, they told me their most common calls came from new homeowners who had bought a house with a well, had not tested it in advance and called because they had run out of water. Now, as the homeowner, it was their problem to fix.