Potential Well Water Problems, Causes and Solutions

There are many potential problems that can seep into your water supply and compromise the quality of your well water. There are many variables in the terrain and environment that can cause either natural or man-made contaminants to get into your water supply.

The only sure protection against contaminated water is knowledge and a well installed, pumped, and tested well. Not every well has water that is immediately potable, and some wells need extensive maintenance and equipment before the water extracted is pure and clean.

CONSUMER REPORTS WATER SOFTENERS

Using your three senses of sight, smell, and taste, you can identify probable water contaminants, and let experts make the necessary adjustments to your well before contaminated water troubles you or your loved ones.

Visual Problems - Buildups and deposits are often times sure signifiers of polluted water. Minerals such as calcium and magnesium are common to most wells, springs, and tap water supplies, but in too excessive a quantity they are dangerous to consumer. Scaling or scummy deposits usually signify calcium or magnesium salts. If your water is turbid, then it's possible you're dealing with some particulate contamination like dirt, clay, silt, or rust. All of these problems manifest themselves visually, but you can likely detect them with your other senses as well, you just really don't want to do that to your taste buds.

Taste Problems - When your water doesn't taste right, you know it, even if you don't know the cause or can't exactly describe the problem. Salty water has high sodium or perhaps seepage from a nearby saltwater body. If a water has a distinct metallic taste, then the water could be too acidic or have an above average iron content. Chemical tastes are very foul, and also the most dangerous. If water tastes of unnatural chemical agents, your well has a serious contamination problem that doesn't just taste bad, it's downright unsafe for you and anyone connected to that well water supply.

Smell Problems - If you're lucky, your nose will detect any contaminants in your water before your tongue has to do the job. Smell problems are often very unpleasant, but very noticeable, and depending on the issue, quite treatable. Rotten odors indicate dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas or a bacteria that is existing on sulfur. Either way, not pleasant or healthy. If the water has a detergent smell or foaming water, than your well might be experiencing septic seepage. If you smell something like human waste, then please don't test it, as there could be a leak in your well that is bringing that dangerously unhygienic element into your home

There are dozens of other problems that can be detected this way, but the important lesson is to keep an eye, nose, and mouth on your well water, and if anything seems off, have it tested, you'll be glad you did.

Potential Well Water Problems, Causes and Solutions

CONSUMER REPORTS WATER SOFTENERS