If your home is on a well, you are responsible for making sure both the well and the water coming from it stay in good condition. For anyone who has only ever been on municipal water, that responsibility can be unfamiliar territory.
Where Your Well Water Comes From
Well water comes from groundwater stored in layers of rock called aquifers. The well is drilled down into the rock to reach that water. Pipes and a casing are installed and sealed to prevent contamination, a well pump forces water up through the casing, and the system is capped above ground somewhere in your yard. Water then travels from the casing through a pressure tank and into the home.
Some people assume well water is naturally clean and filtered by the earth. But water is a solvent — as it moves through the environment it slowly erodes surfaces and picks up whatever it touches. That can mean calcium from bedrock, iron, sediment, hydrogen sulfide gas, and other elements. Many of these are only an inconvenience. Others, like arsenic, occur naturally and are linked to real health effects.
How Well Water Becomes Unsafe
Contamination is more likely in a well than in city water. Groundwater and surface water are both part of the hydrological cycle, so a well is exposed to runoff and other environmental factors.
Nitrates are a common concern, particularly for infants. They typically come from fertilizer runoff — nearby farms or golf courses applying fertilizer can affect your supply.
Local businesses and manufacturing can also have an impact. PFAS chemicals are among the more recently identified contaminants of concern. They are used in industrial processes, and depending on how residual materials are disposed of, they can seep into groundwater.
Because most harmful contaminants can’t be seen or tasted, annual testing by a licensed professional is the only reliable way to know what you have. If you are concerned about arsenic, nitrates, or PFAS, use a filter certified for removing that specific contaminant — certification is what tells you it reduces the level enough to matter.
Preventing Contamination at the Well Itself
Even where the surrounding environment is clean, the well structure matters. Cracks in the casing or a cover that isn’t properly secured leave the well open to the elements and to bacteria such as E. coli.
It often starts with insects or rodents finding their way in through a gap looking for shelter. If they can’t get back out, they die and decompose inside the well, and that becomes the source of contamination.
E. coli in drinking water should be taken seriously. While some strains cause only mild digestive upset, pathogenic strains cause severe illness and can be life-threatening — particularly for young children, older adults, and anyone with a weakened immune system. Testing is the only way to know whether bacteria is present.
If a test comes back positive, a water professional can shock-chlorinate the well, but they should also inspect the well itself. Without finding the structural problem that let contamination in, it will simply happen again.
Routine Maintenance Around Your Well
Keep fertilizer and pesticide application a safe distance from the well head. Check the well cover cap periodically to make sure it is in good condition and free of debris. Make sure the ground around the well slopes away from it so water drains outward rather than pooling. And keep your records — construction reports, annual maintenance, and test results — somewhere safe.
Treatment Options
A reverse osmosis system can reduce nitrates and arsenic in your drinking water at the tap. Our ONE Contaminant Reduction filter is certified to reduce PFAS throughout the entire home.
A well system moves water from the ground into your house — it doesn’t purify or clean it. Regular testing is what tells you what’s actually in there and what to do about it. Get in touch and we’ll help you find out.