With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.

Many Canadian homes receive their water from a private well and this can be a cost-effective solution. But, there are potential downsides to consider and the quality of the well water should be a priority. Waterborne diseases and contamination can have a serious effect on human health and it should not be taken lightly. Water from municipal sources is cleaned to a basic standard, but when you use a private well that’s your sole responsibility. In this article, we will look at well water quality and how it can be improved.

What Are the Risks?

When private wells are compromised or neglected, they can be a source of a number of contaminants. Some of these contaminants represent a health threat and others may affect the aesthetic qualities (taste, odor, and appearance). When water is unpalatable, it can encourage users to avoid drinking it or using it for cooking purposes because it affects the taste of food. Here are some common contaminants found in well water: heavy metals, coliform bacteria, nitrites, nitrates, pesticides, lead, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hydrogen sulfide, sediment, iron, manganese, total dissolved solids (TDS), and others.

Testing Private Well Water

Although some water contamination can be detected with your senses, this is an unreliable method. Many contaminants cannot be detected without water testing, such as coliform bacteria. This is bacteria that typically come from animal or human feces and it’s more common in homes located in livestock rearing areas or with a septic tank. There are basic water testing kits available at home improvement stores, but they don’t provide accurate data. The only way to really understand the makeup of your well water is with professional testing. This will give you detailed information on the pH level, hardness, and the presence and concentrations of contaminants.

The Frequency of Well Water Testing

Well water quality can change frequently depending on a number of factors, including local activity, weather conditions, industrial processes, and more. In fact, the quality of well water on your property may be very different from a neighboring home. For this reason, it’s advisable to invest in annual water testing for the well to ensure that it’s free from contamination. If you cannot remember when the well water was tested, it’s probably a good idea to go ahead and do it now for extra peace of mind.

There are scenarios where you may want to get a water test ahead of time. This is especially true if you notice a change in the taste, odor, or appearance of the water. Another possible reason could be changes in the area caused by construction, flooding, or some industrial processes. If the ground nearby is disturbed, it can affect the groundwater supplies that you cannot see. If you’ve made recent changes to your well, you may want to get it tested to ensure that it’s not affected the water quality.

Do I Need to Disinfect Well Water?

Many people believe that groundwater is 100% pure because it’s passed through layers of soil and rock that act as natural filters. But, groundwater does contain some minerals and other substances because it’s a solvent. Given sufficient time, water can dissolve many substances and these are added to its makeup. The main source of concern is waterborne organisms, such as E.coli, coliforms, and other pathogens. These microorganisms tend to enter the groundwater after flooding or they may be in the runoff from farms. They may have been inside the bodies of animals and humans, at some point, and they are present in fecal matter. Exposure to these microorganisms can cause diarrhea, gastrointestinal distress, vomiting, stomach cramps, and in extreme cases, even death. For these reasons, disinfection is an absolute requirement for private well water sources.

What About Boiling Water?

It is possible to kill microorganisms, such as bacteria, parasites, and viruses by boiling the water that contains them. The water must be kept at a full boil for at least one minute and after cooling, it should be stored in a clean and sealed container. This is an effective way to secure a source of cleaner drinking water if there is an interruption in service. But, for everyday purposes this is an impractical approach, it takes a lot of time and consumes a lot of energy. If the boiled water is not used within 72 hours, it must be thrown out because it may go bad. Boiling water will not remove any other contaminants that may be present, including heavy metals, nitrites, nitrates, etc.

What is the Best Solution?

This is a hard question to answer, there is no one-size-fits-all solution because every private well is different. So, before you can begin to improve the water quality, it’s important to get a professional water test to help you make informed decisions. Once you understand the makeup of the well water, it’s far easier to make a plan to improve the quality.

Most private well owners install a water filtration system to act as a final barrier to remove contaminants. This could be a purely mechanical system, such as reverse osmosis (RO) or activated carbon or it may have a biological or chemical component. The type of water filtration system you need will be determined by the water quality problems you need to fix.

It’s important to realize that you may need more than one filtration system to remove specific contaminants. A prime example would be an iron filter that may be a dedicated unit or it could be part of a water softener. These systems are typically installed in series, this moves the water through each system for gradual cleaning.

It’s also important to check the integrity of the well to ensure that it’s in great shape. If the well cap or walls are cracked this is a weakness where contamination can occur. If the well has been contaminated, it must be disinfected before it can be used safely.

Contact your local water treatment specialist, ask about water testing and treatment options to improve the quality of your water.