Well Water: Its Health Risks And Benefits

It’s a well-known fact that water can contain some chemicals and contaminants harmful to our health. Of course, tap water is constantly treated and the water quality is monitored by specialists in order to keep its users safe from the unwanted pollutants and pathogens. However, the same cannot be said about private wells and well water.

Even in recent years we’ve come to realize that public water can be no good too. Before reaching the tap, it must move through heavy filtration, disinfection and chlorine treatment.

On top of it, the water we bathe in is then absorbed by our skin. According to researchers, chlorine gas inhalation may cause air obstruction, wheezing, chest tightness and dyspnea. This makes chlorine really dangerous to our health and it’s not because it’s in high doses, but because we use tap water constantly, 365 days in a year.

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Drinking from glass; image source: pexels.com

 

For this reason, using well water to supply your home would feel like a giant relief. All in all, it’s better for your health and it can improve your health to a great extent. What’s more, you will no longer have to pay for the water you drink. You’ll have a free supply of fresh and chlorine-free water at disposal.

Unfortunately, most private wells are often neglected when it comes to monitoring and testing their content. Actually, taking precautions is a must and not taking care of your well water may lead to some real health issues. Of course, it’s the owner’s responsibility for keeping the well water clean and fresh.

Therefore, all owners should be aware of the possible problems that might come in their way when taking care of their well water, some of the symptoms and the way to treat them.

Which are the usual contaminants in the well water?

Even though it may not sound so popular, wells are a common source of water, especially in country homes. However, it’s important to be aware that well water may not be that safe as it might be contaminated by human activities or naturally occurring sources. Generally, well water purity can be affected by the following contaminants:

  • Naturally-occurring microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and parasites.
  • Heavy metals like arsenic, chromium, cadmium, copper, lead and others.
  • Left-overs from pesticides, herbicides and other fertilizers
  • Organic chemicals which have to do with household products used in the industry and agriculture.
  • Fluoride or radioactive elements in the water
  • Malfunctioning sewers

What are the potential health effects and symptoms of contamination

tap-water
Tap water; image source: pexels.com

 

In general, all these contaminants must be considered as a potential threat to your health. However, larger sediments and other chemicals and heavy metals can really damage your piping system. If you manage to identify some of the symptoms of possible issues, you will be able to deal with the problem so as to prevent further complications:

  • Sputtering faucets.
  • The pump is failing.
  • Bad smell and taste of your well water.
  • Damaged and unprofessionally-installed well caps
  • Signs of contamination – salt, agricultural substances, bacteria and viruses or other.

How to deal with the problem and any adverse health effects

Fortunately, there’s a solution to any well-water-related problem. After all, prevention is the best cure but you can still have clean and fresh well water if you handle the issue properly. There are a lot of ways to treat your water and you should be aware that you simply cannot use just one of them to fix all your problems at once.

Moreover, each problem requires a different way of addressing it. Bear in mind that water treatment can be conducted not only because of contaminants but also for better taste and odor. Last but not least, some people are just cautious enough to treat their water in order to prevent any health issues.

Therefore, having a filtration system to purify your well water might be an easy and long-lasting solution to your worries. Such a device can successfully remove almost 100% of the contaminants in your water as well as the bad smell. On top of that, it can significantly soften your water and improve its taste. The only downside with using water filters is that they can be one of the causes of low water pressure in your home. There are workarounds for this however, such as using a water pressure booster pump, but these are just some things you’ll need to be aware of if looking at installing a water filtration system in your home.

In addition, there is a huge variety of multi-purpose water filters as well as some particularly-designed for well water filtration. The most common types of water filters are under sink filtration systems, countertop filtration systems, faucet-attached systems.

However, the most suitable filters for well water definitely differ from the traditional ones. Here are some of the filters you should consider buying in order to maintain pristine quality water at your home:

Carbon Well Water Filter

First and foremost, this is the filter that might come out to be the key to drinking clean and fresh well water. This is because carbon filters or activated carbon filters have the ability to remove the harmful microorganisms, chlorine and other dissolved organics. Additionally, such filters successfully freshen your water to make it odor and taste-free.

Reverse Osmosis Well Water Filter

Reverse Osmosis, often abbreviated as RO, is a common way to remove unwanted pollutants in well water. It completely cleans your water from harmful chemicals. The only drawback is that it really takes out everything, including the beneficial minerals. However, taking your daily dose of vitamins and minerals from other sources is enough to do the job.

Whole House Water Filter for Well Water

Last but not least, there is a method that can save you tons of work and worries and it is called “whole house water filtration system”. Those systems usually combine 2 or 3 different types of filters to provide excellent water filtration for whole homes. The typical whole house filter system for well water consists of a carbon filter, a “rough” filter (sediment filter) and a “fine” one, as well as other variations such as a UV filter and RO one.

All in all, as much as you should take things seriously, you shouldn’t think that overcoming the stumbling block is complicated. What you have to do is to test your water, choose the best filtration system based on the results and keep testing your well water regularly in order to maintain its quality. After all, it’s clear that most water isn’t fresh and clean anymore but when you own your own well, you yourself have the responsibility of keeping your water pure and fresh for you and your family.

 

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