Well Water Safety & Awareness

FAQs Explained: My water comes from a well. Do I still need FreshPure® Waters?

Welcome to FAQ’s Explained. In this installment, Well Water Safety & Awareness, we do our best to break down the reasons you may still need purified drinking water, even if your home’s water source is a well. While commonly understood to have less need for disinfectant chemicals like chlorine than municipal (tap) water, well water quality widely varies from place to place, even in the same town. Although there is some crossover, contaminants chemicals that affect cities and public water supply can be very different than potential contaminants in well water.

A little about well water safety

As of 2017, the US Census American Housing Survey found that 13 million households get their drinking water from private wells. While public water utilities are regulated by the EPA, private wells fall outside its jurisdiction. Also, the EPA also doesn’t recommend specific criteria or standards for private wells. So, it’s up to individual owners to make sure their wells are providing safe water for their families.

Well water is commonly thought to be of higher quality than city water in general. However, it’s still good to know EXACTLY what is in your well water. Wells tend to require less chlorine and other disinfectant chemicals than public water systems. But, did you know wells can be higher in different potential contaminants like iron?

An EPA well water safety tip offered is simply to find out if the ground water source for your well is, “under direct influence from surface water. Ground water under the direct influence of surface water is susceptible to contamination from activities on the surface.” (EPA). These, “activities on the surface” refer to potentially problematic industries like a nearby dairy farm, factory, laboratory, or gas station. See the table at the end of this article for a detailed list.

Wells and the Weather

Weather drastically changes ground water. So, after a natural disaster, big storm, a flood, or other anomaly that affects your water, pay careful attention to the color and odor of your water. It’s a great idea to get your well tested after dramatic events in the weather because they cause increased erosion of surrounding areas. Depending on what industries are near your home, the contaminant profile will differ. The table at the end of this article will show you what to look out for. After floods that interfered with local the local sewer system or the due to an overflowing river or lake, your water may have a higher concentration of microorganisms than usual. It’s a good idea to get your well tested after each major storm or flood.

And, just like with city water, the type of pipes in your house still matters. Old lead pipes will leach into well water, too.

The most common contaminants in wells according to the CDC:

microbiologicals (bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc.)
heavy metals
organic chemicals
radiologicals
fluoride
nitrates

Heavy Metals

The deeper that wells are, the higher the mineral content of the water. High mineral content creates “hard water” which can clog up humidifiers, coffee makers, cause residue build up on tea kettles, etc. The El Dorado neighborhood in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for example, is all on a well with extremely hard water. One FreshPure® customer shared that he started using our Reverse Osmosis after the hard water destroyed his third coffee maker in one year. Many El Dorado residents either exclusively use FreshPure® Waters or have installed Reverse Osmosis filters on their homes to protect their plumbing.

Iron

While not considered toxic, many wells have high levels of iron. It can cause stained clothing (it’s red), affect the taste of your cooking, and destroy your plumbing and appliances. Additionally, if hemochromatosis runs in your family, it’s best to drink filtered water.

Radiologicals

Nuclear weapons research, even with the most careful precautions, can lead to water contamination. New Mexico is one of those places with underground laboratories that act as nuclear testing sites. The first American atomic bombs were developed and tested in above-ground explosions in Southern New Mexico in the 1945’s. Research continues, as does below-ground testing. What does that mean for well water safety? Above ground testing results in radioactive radon entering the water supply through the process of nuclear fallout (EPA). Below-ground testing exposes surface and ground water to radiologicals which can then seep into wells. (NCBI)

Tips for Well Water Saftey

Test your water annually
Be aware of your household. Children, pregnant folks, and the elderly are more vulnerable to lower levels of most contaminants than adults.
Disinfect after a flood and other natural disasters. The CDC offers great advice on all the steps to safely disinfect your well.
Pay close attention for water quality changes such as color, taste, and odor
Know your local water quality
Take precautions and test after severe weather and natural disasters
Follow this guide from the EPA to protect your well from environmental contaminants
Make sure you have enough purified water stored for an emergency
Install a home filtration system to preserve appliances if you have hard water
Drink purified water
Don’t forget about your pets! If your well water isn’t right for you, it’s not right for your pets either.

How FreshPure Waters Can Help

FreshPure Waters goes through a detailed purification process that removes up to 99.9% of contaminants from water. If you’re looking for an affordable, safe alternative while waiting for your well to be tested after a heavy rain, or a great source for your emergency stash of water, FreshPure Waters is an excellent option.

Activity Type	Potential Well Contaminant Sources
Agriculture	Fertilizer storage and use, animal feedlots, animal waste disposal systems, animal burial, manure stockpiles (e.g. pits and lagoons), manure spreading, general waste disposal wells, pesticide storage and use (e.g. spread by airplane), field irrigation
Commercial	Airports, boatyards, railroad track and yards, junkyards, recycling and waste transfer stations, auto repairs shops, carwashes, laundromats, dry cleaners, paint shops, gas stations, construction sites, golf courses, floor drains and waste disposal wells, research laboratories and medical institutions, funeral homes and cemeteries
Industry	Oil and gas production and storage, pipelines, petroleum refineries, chemical manufacture and storage, mining, electroplating facilities, foundries, metal fabrication facilities, machine shops, waste disposal wells, paper mills, textile mills
Residential	fuel oil storage tanks, household chemical storage and use, swimming pool chemical storage, septic tanks and leach fields, sewer lines, floor drains, lawn fertilizer storage and use
Other	road de-icing, landfills, sewer lines, storm water pipes and drains, abandoned production and disposal wells, nearby active disposal wells, illegal dumping