3 Important Things To Know About Well Water
It’s estimated that about 20 million American households rely on the use of private wells. As all areas are different in terms of geography, industry and environmental factors, it can be hard to know if your H2O supply from a well is safe for consumption.
Here are three important things that you should know if you rely on one of these devices.
1) These Systems Aren’t Typically Monitored by Municipalities
Anyone who lives in a town, city or village that receives municipal water and sewer services is paying for these utilities. What’s more, they are also shelling out to ensure that the fluid coming out of their faucets is safe to cook, bathe and clean with, not to mention drink.
However, those of us who obtain our liquid old-school style – by way of a pump in the ground that goes into the home – don’t have the luxury of knowing our reserves are safe for consuming.
If we don’t have access to a municipal cache, our wet stuff is probably not being tested or treated. This means that it is possible for there to be harmful contaminants in it.
2) Different Contaminants Can Usually Be Identified By Certain Signs
You may be wondering exactly what kind of things might be floating around in there. Well, that depends on your location and the source. Nevertheless, there are some things that you can look out for.
Certain kinds of bacteria – like iron bacteria and Coliform – will leave traces. If you note musty smells and tastes or red stains on your appliances, chances are you’re dealing with iron. Coliform typically leaves strange odors and tastes reminiscent of fish or an “earthiness.”
Hard water is something that many people have, and spots/deposits on your sink, pipes and faucets can identify it. A rotten egg or “swimming pool” taste can go hand in hand with this, indicating either hydrogen sulfide or chlorine, respectively.
Brownish-red discolorations on appliances could indicate manganese, while more than normal wear on metal surfaces may show your pH level is off.
Some of the scariest ingredients, like pesticides and chemicals, can be undetectable.
3) You Can Get Your H2O Tested for a Variety of Ingredients
Luckily, even if you don’t have municipal supplies, you can have your H2O tested. There are a variety of options in terms of what you can check for; you may be able to receive a complete kit that contains simple instructions.
Once you’ve received results on what your fluids contain, you can look at different well water treatment systems that can make your supply as safe and tasty as that of town water providers.
Sometimes when Chris writes he gets lost in his writing. One of his favorite topics to write about is water conservation. If you’re looking for more information regarding well water treatment systems, please visit http://www.lifesourcewater.com/