What Do I Need to Know About Owning a Home with a Well?

While most homes throughout the country are connected to municipal water lines, there is still a sizable portion of the population that relies on well water. These tend to be homes in more rural areas.

If you’ve never lived in a home with a well before and have recently purchased such a property, you’ll need to learn a bit about how wells operate and how to manage the equipment and your well water.

One of the most common questions we receive from clients is, “What do I need to know about how to maintain a well within my home?” Here’s a quick look at some of the basics.

Wells access underground water sources

First, the basic facts about well water. Well water comes from deep underground—it is untreated ground water. When drilling a well, the point is to get down to an aquifer, a layer of permeable rock that contains water. Pump systems bring that water up from the ground and into your home.

Drinkable groundwater is fairly easy to find, but keep in mind that various other elements can get into the groundwater due to the water having passed through the soil to get down to the aquifer.

Well water has certain properties you must account for

Well water is often quite hard, meaning it has a high concentration of minerals like calcium and magnesium. This is because the water dissolves matter as it passes through the ground to get to the aquifers. Unless your region naturally has a lower concentration of these minerals, you’ll almost certainly need a water softener as part of your well system.

Well water can also occasionally have an odd smell or cause staining in your fixtures, tubs, toilets and sinks. This is partially due to lime scale from water hardness, but often the staining and discoloration is due to high iron content.

There are a variety of filters that can oxidize dissolved iron to remove it from the water. These filters also usually are capable of removing sulfur, which causes the odd smell in well water.

Well water requires regular testing

Because of the possibility of the various types of properties described above as well as the potential for contamination of well water, it is important for homeowners to regularly have their well water tested by a professional.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends once-a-year testing for E. coli and coliform bacteria, at least, but you should also test for arsenic, radon, various minerals and volatile organic compounds to ensure the safety of your water.

In addition, any time you notice any changes in your water quality, such as changes to its smell, taste or appearance, you should have the well tested just to be sure the water is safe.

Our team at Love Well & Pump Supply, LLC is pleased to answer any questions you have about water wells in residential settings. Now that you have a better sense of what you need to know about owning a home with a well, contact us today to schedule service.

Categorised in: Water Well Services

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