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There are many ways to access water, but if you happen to live in a rural area, it’s likely that you’re using water from a well. ideal for getting water in sprawling locations with low population density, private wells are the water source of choice for about 1 in 8 Americans. As convenient as it is, however, well water does come with unique features – and some challenges. Come with us as we take a deep dive into well water and what its unique features are and show you how to get the best water available to you.
What is well water?
Well water is water that comes from holes dug deep in the ground to access groundwater. As you may recall from our recent post, groundwater travels through soil and porous rock and collects at the water table, or the point of saturation. Wells drill down to that point, set up a pump system and bring water up to the surface for agriculture, human consumption and more. The well space is lined with stone to prevent collapse. Some wells are dug by shovel or backhoe, while others are created by driving piping and drilling. They can be as shallow as 30 to 50 feet or thousands of feet deep. Choosing the location of the well is extremely important, as it can make the difference between clean water and contaminated water.
How does well water differ from municipal water?
If you’re in one of the 15 million American households that depend on well water, you’ll know that water isn’t the only thing that travels through soil to the saturation point. Well water can be very easily contaminated by seepage from multiple sources, from landfills and sewage to industrial waste. That’s why choosing a good location for a well is imperative. The casement lining tries to prevent this, but as the stone lining ages, more contaminants can enter the well. Generally, the deeper the well, the less likely it is to be affected by contamination.
Beyond possible contamination, well water is often very hard. Once filtered through porous rock like limestone, it can pick up and carry minerals from the well to the surface, where it will cause hard water scale on your plumbing and fixtures, damaging their functionality over time. This can vary based on the mineral makeup of your area’s earth – sometimes it can cause the water to be slightly acidic. Depending on the well’s source and casing, turbidity can also be a problem, giving the water a cloudy and distasteful appearance.
How can people make it easier to live with well water?
- Make sure your well has regular inspections and maintenance done on a regular schedule – at least once a year. Trust us, you don’t want any surprises!
- Test regularly. The CDC found that of the private wells they tested, around 1 in 5 was contaminated. You can either test yourself with kits purchased through retail or ask your well maintenance provider to include it in their services.
- Get a well-specific system from King Water Filtration. KWF systems can get rid of hard water scale, acidity and turbidity, not to mention any lurking contaminants like bacteria, heavy metals and much, much more.
If you’d like to learn more about what King Water Filtration systems can do for you, feel free to reach out via our online contact form or call us at 855-957-2166.
