I am sure we all know that the earth has 70% of water in total. This huge percentage of water are in various water forms. And that little part of the water is supplied to our households in many ways. We also have many ways of drinking water. We get pure water from rivers, oceans, seas, rains, glaciers, underneath the earth water table and so forth.
And some of the most common ways a common man get water is tap water, well water, or municipal supplied water systems. All this water are considered safe to drink, but we all can add an extra safety layer like RO filter and other cleaners.
But today, we will discuss all the things related to well water. Is well water safe to drink? Is well water healthy? Is well water good to taste and crisp?
We all have many of these questions regarding well water, and we are here to clear all your doubt regarding well water. I will try and give you comprehensive details about well water. Let us get into the topic and know a lot more.
Table of Contents
What is Well Water?
Wells are generally built by drilling into the ground, and then the groundwater is accessed by the underground aquifer. The same water is then pumped into the house. A well can be inside the house premises or outside the house. A well can be connected to a septic tank or the city municipal sewer system.
Is well water safe to drink?
The Well water is generally considered safe to drink. But in most cases, well water is contaminated in many forms. And drinking this contaminated water can make you sick. So, before using well water for drinking, it is always recommended that it is tested and made free of contaminants.
The best practice is to follow the (Environment Protection Agency) EPA guidelines given for private well water owners. To make well water safe for drinking, it should be tested regularly and ensured it is free from all contaminants. Installing a filter, water softener, water distillation system etc., can also help make well water contaminant free.
Major Contaminants one must test in a well water
- Arsenic– another dangerous substance found in the environment
- Nitrates– it is an agricultural waste, widely found in the ground. which sips into the groundwater
- Flouride– industrial waste widely found
- Biological contaminants– many such dead carcasses of animals sip into the ground
- Heavy metals– found in the natural set up on the earth-are found in the ground.
- Other industrial waste that sips into the water table
Factors needed to maintain a healthy private well
- Construction– private well should be built strongly keeping all factors in mind
- Maintainance– how well the well is maintained and maintenance needed; this will determine the overall working of the well for long
- Location– What location is the well-located
- Water source– from where is the water coming to the well is very important. A smooth water source is needed for the well to work flawlessly
- Well surrounding– the well water area should be clean and free from unwanted waste and contaminants
A common source of well contaminants
- Urban runoff
- Chemical spills from various sources
- seepage from landfills
- fertilizers and pesticides
- disposal of farm waste
How to treat well water?
- Get a filtration system, and this will filter your well water
- Getting an under the sink water filter
- Even one can install a countertop filter
- We can even use water softer for a well water
- Adding chlorine to disinfect the well water
- An old and effective but costly and slow method is the water distillation method
When to test your well water?
- If coliform bacteria are present in the water after testing
- If a well water pump is replaced or repaired, contaminants can sip in, so it needs to be tested
- If flood water gets into the well
- If there is a chemical and industrial factory near to the well
- Regular disinfecting and maintaining the well and testing it of contaminants
Health benefits of drinking a well water
- Well water is considered natural, and it is said that well water helps in maintaining a healthy heart
- Enhance the brain function and makes the brain activity
- Brings shine and light to the skin, gives a healthy-looking skin
- Reduces the chance of muscle and joint inflammation in humans
- Regular and continuous drinking of well water can help reduce weight
- Generally, it is high in healthy and useful minerals
- It is a reliable and good option for a free and continuous water supply
- Sometimes well water is very clean and healthy because the municipal takes care of all the water issues like testing, removing contaminants, disinfecting the water from their source and command.
Conclusion
Coming to the final verdict, we should take note that well water is absolutely fine to drink, but it should always be tested for harmful contaminants, which have been discussed above. Well water is the purest form, but due to some setup, it gets contaminated. We should always build good and strong water well, and it should be located in a good area.
However, well water has many benefits as well as demerits. But as per our knowledge, we found well water to be the best option for continuous water supply to our homes. We highly recommend this technique of water. It should be kept regularly maintained and tested every after a few months, and the well water should be EPA approved for safety guidelines.
