Does your home run on well water? If so, you might be wondering whether your well water is safe to drink. To keep you and your family safe, we’re going to talk about how to know whether your well water is safe to drink and what you can do to improve the quality of water.
Is Your Well Water Safe to Drink? Here’s What You Need to Know
Many households in the United States rely on well water for drinking. In fact, many people like the idea of having well water for their homes as it is a more cost-effective solution.
In fact, if your home uses well water, this means that you don’t have to pay for your drinking water. However, one concern that homeowners have to worry about is whether their well water is safe to drink.
Today we’re going to discuss whether your well water is safe to drink and measures you can take to make it drinkable for you and your family.
Is Well Water Safe to Drink?
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to tell whether your well water is safe to drink just by looking at it. Instead, you would need to get it tested in a laboratory or an authorized research facility.
This is because a lot of well water contains harmful bacteria, parasites, and infections that you won’t be able to see with your naked eye. Just even a few certain chemical contaminants found in well water can cause chronic health issues in individuals.
It’s important to note that even if your neighbor’s well water has been tested, this does not mean yours is safe. For this reason, it’s important never to drink well water unless you can confirm that it has been tested and is safe to drink.
With that said, even when you test well water, it’s not uncommon for the quality to change regularly based on revival/refilling.
How Do Chemicals and Germs Get Into My Well Water?
Essentially, private well water uses groundwater as its water source. As such, there are many germ and chemical sources present in the ground. Some sources you will find include:
- Naturally occurring chemicals and minerals
- Local land-use practices
- Sewer overflows
- Malfunctioning water waste system
When Should I have My Well Tested?
Homeowners should be prepared to test their well water regularly to help maintain quality. More specifically, well water should be tested at least once a year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH levels.
Keep in mind that you may need to test your well water more often, depending on a few indicators. Here are a few things to consider.
- You’ve noticed problems with well water in your area
- You’ve experienced issues around your well, such as flooding and land disturbances
- You’ve had maintenance done to your well system
- There was a chance in water quality such as taste, color, and smell
What Makes a Healthy Well System?
If you have a private well or thinking about getting one, you’re probably concerned about ongoing upkeep. With that said, there are a few things to keep in mind when determining a good well infrastructure.
For instance, the first thing to consider is how well-constructed your well is. The better constructed the well, the less likely you are to experience problems.
The next thing to consider is the location of your well. Many homeowners choose a well location for convenience, but you want to ensure that it is located in the best spot to produce safe, clean water.
For instance, the drill rig needs to be able to penetrate the formations of the area. It also needs to be able to reach groundwater. Your well will also need to be located far away enough from human and animal waste is concentrated. This means homeowners need to choose the best location that supports the needs of their system.
If you already have a well, consider the age of the well and the amount of maintenance that has been done, if any. Additionally, determine whether the water quality has been checked.
Having a private well for your home is a great option. Not only is it an affordable water solution, but it can also provide great-tasting water. If your home has private water well or you’re interested in having one for your home, be sure to test your well water to ensure that it is safe to drink.