With a growing number of consumers feeling concerned about the many chemicals found in their tap water, more individuals are resorting to providing their homes with well water. This type of water is pulled from underground sources and is typically believed to provide a much safer alternative to municipal sources. However, this is not always the case. In fact, well water may contain harmful substances that could be detrimental to a family’s health and home. So before you convert your home’s water supply, read on to find some information to help you determine if this is the right move for you.

Starting With the Basics Before you get started, you should determine if your project is even feasible. Some local governments may have strict rules regarding the use of wells, while others may not even allow it at all. You will need to check with building codes and other regulations to ensure that you do not come across any legal issues. Of course, you will also need to ensure that an underground well runs within an acceptable distance of your home. Its distance could affect the overall price, and you want to be careful to not accidentally intrude upon neighboring property. And finally, you need to ensure that your home’s piping can be used with an underground well.

Testing Your Water for Harmful Substances Once you have gained access to your well water, it’s important to test it to ensure that it’s clean enough to drink. Although no government regulations apply to privately owned wells, the EPA has still issued some guides in testing groundwater. A water quality indicator (WQI) test can be used to determine how safe your groundwater is. Some of the common problems to search for include many different types of bacteria, such as total coliforms and E. coli. Many chemicals, including nitrates and volatile organic compounds (VOC) are also common pollutants to underground water. In addition to ensuring the water’s cleanliness, you should also check its pH level. An unbalanced pH level, whether acidic or basic, could lead to damaged pipes and illness.

Long-term Maintenance Testing the quality of your well water should not be a one time job. The EPA recommends that you perform a WQI test at least once a year. Additionally, you should also perform these tests after the occurrence of local floods, sink holes, chemical spills, and sewage leaks. Don’t assume that just because a spill is several miles away it won’t affect your well after a certain period of time. Many filtration and distillation systems can be used to clean and maintain the water supply without adding any chemicals to the well. To provide a short-term solution to any problems that may arise, you should consider boiling water that you believe may be contaminated or resorting to bottled water.

Want to compare free quotes with no obligation… Click here

Share