While you can do environmental testing any time of the year, there is a significance to doing it in the fall, especially when it comes to testing your water supply. Environmental testing can include just about anything in the area, including, but not limited to, the soil and water.
During the fall, after the harvest, you will get a clear picture of what has drained off of the soil of a neighboring field and into your own soil or water supply. In some cases, the farmers treat their fields after the harvest, depending on what they plant in those fields and how the soil can best be prepared. Even though they may have access to drainage ditches, there is a good chance that much of what they put on the crops and into the soil can make its way to your land. This is why the end of the season is a great time to have testing done. The ground has not yet frozen, and yet, the rains from the spring and the winds from the summer storms have done their work and transported chemicals that can pollute your land.
Even if you can’t stop the farmers from using chemicals, you can take steps to keep your own family healthy. For instance, you may need to dig a deeper well, or treat your water for contaminants. You might also find that you need to plant your garden in a different area, so that it does not suffer from harsh chemicals when you try to grow an organic garden.