Moving to a House with Well Water? Here’s What to Know
We use water every day. It’s a staple in every home, and it’s vital for our overall health. From staying hydrated to doing the chores, water quality matters. So you’ll probably have a few questions when you’re moving to a house with well water. And even if you’ve been living with well water for quite some time, there are probably still a few things that you don’t know!
Types of Well Water and City Water
Yes, there are distinct differences with the standard definitions of well water vs city water. All too often, though, people think of this as an either/or scenario. In reality, you can actually have a sort of “combination” with the two. The vast majority of people in the country receive water from their municipality. But there are times when that city water will technically come from a well. That’s when it really gets interesting.
Getting your water from the local water treatment plant (whether it originates from a city well or other water sources) definitely has its benefits. There are specific water quality regulations in place. So more often than not, you’ll be a better position to avoid a lot of the health concerns that can come with private well water vs city water.
Regardless, the general distinctions with well water still apply. It tends to have higher levels of iron and higher levels of calcium and magnesium. Those factors can make living in a house with with well water a little more difficult.
Possible Problems for a House with Well Water
Depending on the area where you live, well water can be smelly and prone to staining. When sulfur is nearby, that can add a sort of rotten-egg odor to your water. City water doesn’t really have that issue because it goes through a specific filtration process and often comes from surface water sources, not underground.
Next, your well water is likely going to be “hard.” This refers to how much of those dissolved minerals are in your water. High levels of calcium and magnesium can leave a crusty buildup on the faucets and fixtures around your home. Hard water also makes laundry feel scratchy, leaves water spots on your dishes, and can make your skin and hair feel “dehydrated” or dry and scaly after you shower.
There’s also the chance that using a private well could get sand and other sediment showing up in your water at the faucet. You’ll need to schedule regular system checks to make sure the well infrastructure is holding up.
Additionally, your drinking water safety needs to stay top-of-mind. Without planning accordingly, your home and your family may not be staying safe and getting what they really need. Fortunately, there easy ways to purify well water for drinking, and easy solutions that will improve your water for other needs too!
The Whole-Home Water Treatment Plan
Well water certainly has some unique characteristics, but there’s really no reason to let it scare you. It’s just about making the most of your situation—not skipping out on well water entirely. The process to get city water instead of well water can be pretty complicated. When your home is on a private well, it costs a lot of money to build the pipelines you’d need to connect with the city water. That’s why you’ll be better off to just focus on what you can control inside your own house.
Instead of dealing with a whole new plumbing system between your property and the city lines, turn to the easy fixes. Learn about the water softeners that have built-in iron filtration systems. Then look at the best ways to purify well water for drinking. (Our top picks are powerful reverse osmosis filters.)
Combining these types of solutions will improve the water quality everywhere in your home. You’ll have soft water for showering, doing the laundry, and washing the dishes. No more orange water or rust stains in the sinks or toilet bowls. And most importantly, you’ll have the peace of mind that your family has safe, clean water to drink and use for coffee, tea, ice cubes, and more!
Starting with a home water assessment is the best way to figure out the right size of systems you’ll need for your whole-home water filtration solution. If you’re in the Indianapolis area, we’d love to help. Please send us a message to get started!