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.

There are many private well water users that don’t rely on a municipal source to meet their daily water needs. The wells are supplied by aquifers, and they are not subject to public water contaminant monitoring or health regulations. There is an elevated risk of waterborne contaminants in private well water and the user is responsible for water testing, treatment systems, and ongoing well maintenance. In this article, we will take a closer look at well water and the water treatment systems required to make the water safe to use.

The Relationship Between Well Water and Groundwater

When many people think about well water and groundwater, they may consider them to be the same thing, and the terms are interchangeable. This is not true; the well water is an artificial structure that is bored into the ground to access the groundwater. Groundwater is located in underground aquifers that collect water from rain, ice, melting snow, and other sources.  This water is trapped in spaces between various layers of sand, gravel, soil, and rock. Groundwater can lie undisturbed for thousands of years, or it may be forced to the surface due to natural and unnatural activities. At that point, it will typically enter a surface water source which may act as a municipal water supply.

How is Well Water Contaminated?

Under normal conditions, the water in an aquifer would be cleaner and fresher than most surface bodies of water because it’s harder to contaminate. Most well water supplies don’t need too much filtering if the water pump and filter screen are in good condition. But, there are three main ways that well water can become contaminated:

1.   Septic Tanks

If a septic tank is installed too close to a private well, it can pollute the water supply. This is especially true if the septic tank is leaking and raw sewage can reach the water supply. If you have a private well and you need to install a septic tank, it must be located at a lower elevation and far away from the well.

2.   Natural and Manmade Runoff

During heavy bouts of rainfall, some naturally occurring metals and minerals, such as calcium, manganese, iron, and others, can enter the groundwater. There are manmade materials that present a greater potential health threat, including runoff from industrial processes and urban areas where salt is spread, which can degrade the groundwater supplies.

3.   Toxic Contaminants

There are toxic materials, such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, pharmaceutical byproducts, and others, that can enter the groundwater. This can occur at poorly maintained wells in the area, or there may be illegal dumping to consider. Areas with a lot of agricultural activity with animal grazing and manure are also prone to toxic contamination.

6 Potential Private Well Water Contaminants

Now that you have a better understanding of how contaminants get into the groundwater and private wells, let’s take a look at six potential contaminant groups in more detail:

  1. Microorganisms: This broad category can include: bacteria, parasites, cysts, and viruses. Waterborne illnesses are prevalent in the developing world, where water treatment is still a luxury in some areas. But many people are surprised to learn that millions of people in developed nations are affected by them too.
  2. Heavy Metals: This can include: arsenic, lead, selenium, copper, and many more. Lead and certain other metals are very dangerous, and removing them from the incoming well water is a must.
  3. Organic Chemicals: These are dyes, sealants, inks, paints, and other chemicals that degrade the water quality.
  4. Fluoride: High concentrations of fluoride can discolor or cause pitting in teeth, and in extreme cases, it can cause skeletal fluorosis.
  5. Radionuclides: These are radioactive pollutants, such as radium, uranium, and others that you absolutely don’t want in your water.
  6. Nitrates and Nitrites: These chemicals are found in raw sewage, animal waste, and fertilizers.

Well Water Testing

If you’ve purchased a home with a private well or you’re considering it, there should be a record of the well construction and maintenance that’s been carried out. If the well is in poor shape, some work will be required to bring the well up to standard. Many mortgage companies will require water testing and disclosure before closing the deal. After the purchase, regular annual well water testing is essential to understand the makeup of your water. A lot can change in a year, there are many activities that can affect the well water quality, and more frequent testing is advisable if vulnerable people are living in the home.

4 Well Water Treatment Systems

Depending on the results of the water test, there are four well water treatment systems that can improve the quality of the water:

  1. Mechanical Filtration: These are filter systems that remove contaminants from the water with a physical barrier. No biological agents, chemicals, or other substances are added to the water to clean it. Two common examples are: granular activated carbon (GAC) and reverse osmosis (RO).
  2. Disinfection: This can be a chemical or physical process that kills microorganisms or disrupts their DNA to prevent them from replicating. The municipal water treatment plants add chlorine or chloramine (ammonia mixed with chlorine) to public water as a disinfectant. This is effective, but there are concerns that chlorine byproducts can be a health risk if they are breathed as a vapor in the shower. There are other disinfection methods that are highly effective, including ozone, electronically generated radion, and the ever popular ultraviolet (UV) light.
  3. Distillation: This refers to the boiling of water to collect steam that is virtually pure water. It’s effective, but impractical because it takes a long time, and the process consumes large quantities of energy.
  4. Water Softeners: Hard water has elevated levels of dissolved minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron. These minerals make the water harder to use, and they can damage plumbing pipes, fixtures, and water using appliances.

In Conclusion

Most private well water users require more than one water treatment system to remove specific contaminants found in the water test. These systems are installed logically and in series to remove the contaminants before they reach the consumer. If you want to learn more about improving the quality of your well water, contact your local water treatment specialist today.