Necessary Periodic Water Testing For Residential Well Owners

6 September 2017
 Categories: , Blog


Living in a home with a well requires you understand the various water-borne contaminants that can make your family sick and perform periodic testing for their presence. While many contaminants such as iron can be seen by the naked eye and are not harmful to your family and your pets, there are other contaminants such as arsenic that are invisible and harmful if ingested. 

Below is a list of some of the most common well water contaminants and information about how they are removed from your water if the testing lab detects their presence:

Iron Contamination

If you place your well's water into a clear drinking glass and the water appears yellow or green with particles floating in it, then it should be tested for iron contamination. Excessive iron contamination will settle out of the water as it sits in your plumbing and eventually will clog up your pipes. Additionally, water that is too high in iron will taste gross, smell bad, and is harmful to your home's hot water heater.

Excessive groundwater iron can be removed using a special iron filter. Iron filters are inexpensive and remove nearly all of the iron in your water for many years before replacement is necessary.

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Contamination

If you put your well's water in a clear container and see white particles floating in it, then it is likely the water has a high level of total dissolved solids (TDS) in it. TDS is a fancy term for the natural calcium salts often found in groundwater. These salts are bad for your water heater and will clog your plumbing. 

Excessive levels of TDS need to be removed using a whole-house water softener system. These systems require you place salt pellets in them periodically. The salt is used to remove the harmful calcium.

Arsenic Contamination

Arsenic is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless natural contaminant that is not removed when you boil your water. Water that is high in arsenic is harmful to people and pets because as they drink the water the arsenic builds up in their body's tissues and can eventually cause a wide variety of different types of cancer. Since you have no way to know if your well water has arsenic in it, you must have it professionally tested before consuming or cooking with it.

Finally, arsenic is removed from well water using a specialized filter system. Each night the filter will backwash and renew itself. Today's arsenic filters are fairly inexpensive and last for many years before they need replacement. Contact a company like Green Living Water Solutions for more information and assistance. 


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