Knowing Your Well Water
Generally, you should know that well water originates from an underground aquifer. The differences of well water are that this form of we’re is not treated by local municipalities like water supply in the city.
For those who do not know, well water has a lot of benefits that could be benefited by humans and other living organisms but where do we start?
Lucky for you, we have prepared this guide on the benefits of well water but also touch on the potential contaminants that might be present and the parameters of a typical well water source.
As a rule of thumb, well water is good for you because it is powered with various health benefits as compared to water treated by municipalities, but this does not mean it is free of contaminants. In fact, they may even carry potential detrimental health effects. To verify this, the most accurate way is to get the well water tested.
Potential Health Benefits of Drinking Well water
Let’s start with health benefits of drinking well water which are listed below.
Source of Healthy Minerals
One of the most appealing features of well water is that it contains a great amount of healthy minerals. These minerals consist of calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese which are commonly found in well water.
Drinking water with high mineral content will be extremely beneficial as it could provide your body with the optimum levels of minerals to properly function. Alternatively, you could source these minerals from food sources as well.
Encourages Hydration
Besides that, well water has no chlorine which makes it high quality as compared to city water that has been treated. In turn, water from the well water might even have a better taste and less odor hence, it would be more appealing to drink.
With this, you would tend to be more prone to drink well water more often for this reason and stay hydrated at all times along with enjoying health benefits.
Good hydration of drinking adequate water could result in many good health benefits, such as flawless skin, weight loss, optimum brain function and so on but we shall focus on the benefits resulting from drinking well water per se rather than the benefits of hydration on itself.
Is drinking well water a good idea?
Yes, drinking well water can reap various benefits but this would also depend on the content of your well water to fully gauge the health properties of well water.
Generally, well water ranges from hard to very hard. For your information, hard water means it consists of minerals such as magnesium and no calcium which is good for human health.
Besides that, well water could also supply you with manganese and iron which are a type of essential minerals which are good for you. However, moderation is key because excessive manganese and iron could be detrimental as well.
Well water could turn out bad for you if it holds water impurities. Water impurities can range from heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, pesticides, herbicides and nitrates. These heavy metals are dangerous even consumed in small quantities.
Please also look out for water coming from well water as they may be contaminated by pathogens and bacteria which is harmful and could even lead to gastrointestinal conditions in humans.
Is showering with well water beneficial?
Well, this really depends but the best thing about well water is it does not contain any chlorine which may irritate the skin, cause skin and hair to dry or even itchiness to skin especially those who are very sensitive.
On the other hand, well water could contain a great amount of hardness minerals such as magnesium and calcium which are commonly used to make soap for skin and hair, may cause itchiness, rashes, hair falls and even skin conditions such as eczema.
However, this would greatly depend on how susceptible your skin is to these hardness minerals so the reaction would really depend from one person to another.
Possible Contaminants in Water
As discussed above, the mineral content of well water is significantly higher which makes it a preferred option as compared to city water but well water may not be the best option for your health.
The water quality of the well is affected by various reasons which include substances being seeped into the water from industrial and agricultural sites, nearby nuclear power plants or even decomposing plants and animals that may fall into the water.
There are a number of contaminants which are found in well water that may be harmful which is as follows:
- Heavy metals such as lead, selenium, and chromium – these heavy metals seep into the water supply through surface runoff, worn well parts and water seepage. Due to this, these excessive metals are cancerous, and may lead to liver and kidney failure, neurological problems
- Chemicals such as nitrates – lead to excessive fatigue, potential weakness in the limbs, dizziness, and increased of heart rate if taken in large quantity
- Pesticides and herbicides – these substances commonly find their way to the private well through surface runoff. These substances may be cancerous, cause potential birth defects to infants, breathing difficulties if consumed in large quantities.
- Microorganisms such as harmful bacteria – these harmful bacteria appear in water sources and tend to originate from septic tanks which are leaking or even flowing from farms. Bacteria is bad to human and can cause gastrointestinal conditions, fever nausea, cramps and vomiting
How to Identify if Well Water is Good For You
It is difficult to determine if well water is good for you through the naked eye, scent, and taste. For this reason, we highly recommend getting your tap water tested to know the properties of your water quality.
But how do you test your well water you may ask? Well, start by collecting a sample of your drinking water and send it to a designated lab for further checking on the drinking water quality.
Detailed and thorough lab results will be very comprehensive and able to identify any content of contaminants that exceeds Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) quality guidelines as recommended.
To be clear, EPA does not solely govern well water but their guidelines are a good benchmark to determine if your well water is safe to drink.
If your results of the tap water indicates contaminants, then your well water is bad for you but this is not the end of the world. You could counter this issue by using a water filter or an alternative water treatment facility.
Otherwise, if you do not have any form of contaminants then your well water is good to go.
How to Improve the Health Properties of Well Water
As the saying goes, there is always room for improvement and this similarly goes to your well water. Here is a list of handy tips to allow you to enhance the well water quality.
Install a Whole House Water Filter
A well water whole house water filtration system can be effective in removing contaminants that may be present in well water such as organic compounds, harmful chemicals, nitrates and heavy metals. These substances are incredibly bad if present in your drinking water and would be harmful to humans.
The whole house water filter system is very beneficial and efficient as this system will filter the water supply as a whole which includes your drinking water and the water you use for other purposes. For this reason, your surroundings become healthier as you tend to inhale water vapor which is filters from contaminants.
Point of Use Filter
If you are tight on budget and do not want to invest on a whole house water filtration system then you should consider getting a countertop filtration system or under-sink water filter.
Point of use water filters are helpful in increasing the quality of your drinking water and contaminant removal such as heavy metals and chemicals. Adding on, these point of use filters are definitely more reasonable as compared to whole house water filters systems as discussed above.
But of course, their coverage is limited as they safeguard your tap water and not your entire water filtration systems at home.
Use a Water Purifier
Besides that, a water purifier is very helpful in removing contamination which are microbiological in nature which would enhance the quality of your well water. A useful note would be a water purifier varies from a whole house water filtration system which targets pathogens and germs rather than physical contaminants such as chemicals and heavy metals.
Water purifiers come in many forms. As an example, you can consider UV purifier which is one of the most popular solutions for your well water. UV purifiers work by deactivating bacteria, viruses and other living organisms by breaking down their particles.
This purification process should occur upstream of the water heater to provide high quality water free of microorganisms to your whole house.
Installation of Water Softeners
If you are looking to improve the quality of the water for your shower, then a water softener would come in handy. Water softeners are effective in removing calcium and magnesium minerals whereas sodium ions will be added to the water.
Water softeners are effective in safeguarding your plumbing system and piping system from limestone from forming. Besides that, water softener helps in reducing effects of water hardness such as drying of the skin, itchiness and even dry hair.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is well water good for you?
Well water has its advantages as compared to city water but it also has its disadvantages especially if your well water is contaminated by leaking septic tanks and may have bacteria, organic chemicals or heavy metals from surface runoff.
Besides that, your well water will not be good for you as well if it contains excessive amounts of iron, hydrogen sulfide gas and other naturally occurring minerals.
For this reason, it is crucial to get your well regularly tested because it gives you a detailed and thorough report on the properties of the well water. Also, if you are experiencing any issues then you are able to detect early and find early solutions to counter the issue which is crucial to prevent any unwanted damage.
Is well water better as drinking water?
Most often than not, well water is a better source of drinking water than the city water treated by your local authority. For a better understanding, well water originated from the ground would hold significantly more minerals as compared to the water treated in the city.
Adding on, well water does not have any chlorine and carries low risk of disinfection by products as compared to water in the city.
Regardless, well water also has its downsides as well water may carry the risk of high chemicals content, high heavy metal levels, presence of pathogens because it is not properly regulated by authorized bodies like EPA.
Hence, the quality of your well water may differ accordingly and to determine if well water is a better source of drinking water – it really boils down to the properties and quality of your well water.
How does well water affect your health?
This really depends, because well water carries different types of contaminants that would carry varying health conditions to humans. As an example, cancer would be caused by heavy metals, kidney and liver failure and anemia.
Gastrointestinal conditions are also common if bacteria is taken. Besides that, nitrates are capable of causing fatigue, weakness and dizziness in humans.
Regardless, it is important to note that low to moderate amounts of some water impurities of the well water can in fact, be very beneficial for you and even have health benefits This includes iron, calcium, magnesium and so on.
Is well water clean enough to drink?
Most often than not, well water is clean enough to drink. Bear in mind, well water does not go through proper water treatment as compared to city water. Due to this, there is a high risk that the well water has high levels of impurities so please get it tested regularly before drinking and using for other purposes