Use Well Water? What You Need To Know About The Need For A Water Filter
Posted on: 14 June 2016
The two primary ways that you can get water for your home is either by the means of a municipal source or a well. If you are using well water, you may not be aware of how crucial having a water filter is to the overall quality of your water. Here is what you should know when it comes to water filters.
How Well Water Is Different Than Using A Municipal Water Source
Any municipal water source will have been treated in a water treatment plant, and the filtration system there will remove the heavy metals and chemicals that are known to contaminate water. The key thing that people look to remove once the water reaches their faucet is lead since many buildings will still have old lead pipes in them. Plumbing can always be replaced to reduce the amount of lead in the water, potentially making a filter not necessary to consume the water.
Well water has no filter on it unless you install one. Everything that is in your well water will be pumped to the faucets in your home, so any water that comes from a well should be filtered before using it if you have impurities in it.
How Safe Unfiltered Well Water Is For Drinking
It's possible that you will not get sick from drinking unfiltered well water. If the well was dug correctly and the water tested, it's possible that there is nothing wrong with the water coming into your home. Just keep in mind that well water testing typically only tests for things like E.coli and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These are byproducts of fuel, chemical, and industrial plants.
The water may be safe to drink, but it is always a good idea to put the water through a filter to remove anything else that may be in the water. This means impurities that won't get you sick from the water, but may cause it to have a weird taste to it.
Know What's In Your Well Water
Having high levels of hydrogen sulfide is a common issue with well water, and nothing to be worried about if you have it. It causes the water to have a rotten egg smell to it, though it will not cause you to get sick. Thankfully, it is easy to filter out hydrogen sulfide. You can also have an issue with magnesium and calcium, which make it difficult to do laundry since it will prevent your soap from being effective.
When you have these types of issues, it is best to have a professional install a water filtration system for your whole house. It will ensure that all water faucets are providing clean and filtered water, causing the impurities to be removed. This can be done at the same time you have your well installed (by professionals such as Golden Gate Well Drilling & Water Conditioning).
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