Is Well Water Safe To Drink?

Well water is a common water source for homeowners across North America, typically accessed by an underground aquifer and completely separate from city water systems — so is well water safe to drink?

With the right precautions, you can certainly drink well water and use it for cooking, cleaning, bathing and more. However, since private well water isn’t treated or tested by a municipal organization, you’ll need to take a proactive approach to maintain your water quality. Wells can be particularly susceptible to certain water contaminants and issues, including both aesthetic factors and concerns that could impact your health.*

Here’s what to know about the testing and treatment you can use to ensure your well water is safe and pleasant to drink.

The Safety of Well Water

The first thing to understand about private wells is that, unlike public water systems, they aren’t the city’s responsibility. That’s why no water authority or organization will regularly check them for you. Well water is entirely the owner’s responsibility — including everything from pipes, pumps and potential water contamination.

On top of that, well water quality can vary from one location to the next. It may also shift over time due to changes in the area, natural disasters and more. That’s not to mention other variables like the state of your well system and recent adjustments to your equipment.

So, can you drink well water? The answer is most likely yes, but proper testing and treatment are crucial. That’s because there are plenty of potential well water contaminants and issues you need to look out for:

 

Hydrogen Sulfide

If hydrogen sulfide is present in your well water, you may notice a rotten egg smell – something that can occur naturally from organic matter in your water supply or hydrogen sulfide gas

Nitrate

Nitrate is a naturally occurring form of nitrogen. However, certain human activities (like agriculture) are known to cause higher levels in drinking water supplies. Consuming water with too much nitrate can cause increased heart rate, headaches, nausea and abdominal cramps in adults.Excessive nitrate is particularly dangerous for babies, and can cause risk of developing methemoglobinemia, a potentially life-threatening blood disorder.

Iron

Iron in drinking water is a common cause of rust stains throughout the home, including in tubs and toilets and on dishes and in the laundry. It can also cause an unpleasant metallic taste.

Heavy Metals

Another group of potential contaminants in well water is heavy metals, which can cause liver, kidney and intestinal damage and other issues like abnormal heart rhythms and stomach upset. Common metals include:

• Arsenic
• Lead
• Chromium
• Copper

Total Coliform Bacteria

If there is bacteria present in your well water, it can indicate your water has been in contact with sewage or indicate the presence of other harmful germs including E. coli. When these bacteria are present in your well, it’s important to conduct thorough water testing to understand the full scope of potential contamination in your water.

Water Hardness

Hard water is caused by naturally occurring minerals like calcium and magnesium. While water hardness generally isn’t a health concern, having these minerals in your water system can lead to issues like limescale, spotty dishes, smelly laundry and even dry, irritated skin and hair.

Additional Concerns

Other kinds of contamination include:

• Organic chemicals: Organic chemicals like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and synthetic organic compounds can enter your water source through waste disposal, spills, and surface water run-off. People who consume high levels of organic chemicals may be at risk for damage to their kidneys, liver, and more.
• PFAS: Also called “forever chemicals,” this is a type of man-made chemical known for its inability to break down in the environment or our bodies The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established the first-ever nationwide, legally enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS, with other governments likely to follow suit.
• Microplastics: These plastic particles less than 5 mm in length come from the breaking down of plastics. They have been found in drinking water sources, tap water, plastic water bottles, and more.

How Do You Know if Well Water Is Safe To Drink?

The problem with many potential well water contaminants is that you can’t know for sure what they are, or if they’re present at all, just by using your senses. For example, nitrate and arsenic have no taste, smell or odor but could impact your health. Others, like hardness minerals, are equally difficult to spot until they affect your whole home. Still, others may have noticeable signs — like rust stains from iron or a rotten egg smell from hydrogen sulfide. However, even those may not tell you exactly what the problem is.

For these reasons and more, there’s one sure way to know if well water is safe to drink, and that’s with a water test.

Well users should have professional water testing performed at least once a year, particularly for nitrate and total coliform bacteria. Your local water expert can recommend additional tests for any potentially harmful contaminant you’re worried about. This helps eliminate uncertainty and guesswork that could come from DIY test kits. It also allows you to stay on top of common contaminants that can impact your well differently over time — for example, nitrate levels, which can increase depending on nearby activities.

But that’s not the only reason. Certain events in surrounding areas may affect your water supply, potentially introducing new contaminant types. If you experience a flood, well system repair, septic tank problem or land disturbance, you should always conduct another water test.

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What happens if your test comes back with concerning results? Specific recommendations will depend on which issues are present, but you’ll likely hear that you need a treatment solution. These can help address both health concerns and aesthetic issues like unpleasant tastes and odors.

Well Water Treatment Options

Once you know if you have contaminated well water and, if so, what the associated health risk may be, it’s time to choose solutions that fit your unique needs. There are two main options: reverse osmosis and whole home filtration.

What Is a Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filtration System?

A reverse osmosis (RO) system treats drinking water at the point of use (like the kitchen sink), often through a multi-step filtration process. These solutions can help improve the taste and smell of your household drinking water while addressing a broad range of potentially harmful contaminants.

What Is a Whole Home Water Filtration System?

Whole home systems do exactly what the name implies: They treat all the water that enters your home and are generally designed to address individual, specific water problems like sediment, iron or sulfur that impact cleaning, bathing and drinking.

It’s important to note that whole home and RO solutions address different issues and use separate processes. Your local water expert should explain how each system works and how this relates to your home’s needs.

How Do You Choose The Right Filtration Solution?

Selecting a well water filtration system involves:

• Meeting the needs identified by your water test
• Choosing the ideal combination of features and affordability
• Finding customer service support from the right provider

In general, whole home filtration systems can help solve problems like staining due to excessive iron and the undesirable smell associated with hydrogen sulfide. An RO system is often recommended for drinking water concerns.

Does Boiling Work for Well Water?

During emergencies, you may temporarily be advised to boil drinking water to kill microorganisms (or use bottled water instead). This is not a permanent solution, and it does not replace the need for additional filtration systems.

That’s because boiling is a kind of water treatment, but it isn’t the same as a water filter. For example, boiling drinking water doesn’t remove contaminants such as chemicals and heavy metals. The process also takes extra time and effort.

Worried About Well Water? Start Here

Well water can be safe for drinking and all other household needs — as long as you make sure to have your water supply tested regularly and select treatment solutions in line with your results. That way, you know exactly what’s in your drinking glass no matter what’s happening in or around your well.

Ready to get started? Schedule your free, in-home water test and consultation today.