Whether you are preparing to purchase a home or just curious about the differences in water quality where you live, you’ve probably encountered the belief that city water is safer than well water. At Hague Quality Water of Maryland, we offer water testing to homeowners and renters with both municipal, or city water, and well water. Read on to learn the answer to the debate as to whether or not municipal water is safer than well water.
City Water vs. Well Water
When you own a home in a more developed area, you will generally get your water from a local water treatment facility that tests and treats water before it comes to your home. The advantage of this is that someone will have already tested the water coming out of the water treatment plant before it makes it to your home. The water quality will also have to follow the Environmental Protection Agency’s guidelines for the most dangerous compounds. City water will rarely contain anything truly dangerous that is regulated by the EPA. However, it can still become contaminated due to residue in your pipes, contain potentially hazardous byproducts of the treatment process, or become contaminated by run-off after the water leaves the treatment plant. Even with city water, it is important to have annual testing performed at your home.
Well water can vary in quality depending on where your home is located, and you alone will bear the responsibility of having it tested and treated. The water in your well will be tested when it is first drilled, but it can become contaminated over time due to things like flooding or agricultural activity in the area. Testing two times a year is recommended, and Hague Quality Water of Maryland is here to assist. This will identify if any dangerous compounds are present. Thankfully, a great deal of private well water can be safer and require less filtration and treatment than city water because it is typically free from things like fluoride and chlorine that can be present in treated water.
What Water Contaminants Are Common in Well Water?
Some of the most common contaminants found in well water that might require filtration include:
- Hepatitis A
- Giardia
- E. coli
- Shigella
- Cryptosporidium
- Salmonella
- Arsenic
- Gasoline
- Nitrate
- Phenol
- Selenium
The well water professionals at Hague Quality Water of Maryland can check your well for well pump mechanics, contaminants and dangerous compounds like nitrates or coliform bacteria. City water is not always safer than well water, and it is easy to make sure that you are drinking safe and clean water when you work with Hague Quality Water of Maryland.
How Can Contaminants Enter Your Well Water?
There are many different ways that contaminants enter the water supply, and private wells are particularly vulnerable. Some of the different ways they can get in include:
- Leakage from underground storage tanks
- Run-off from rainfall or snow melt
- Chemical fertilizers, sewage, animal waste or fertilizers
- Household plumbing made from copper or lead
- Petroleum refineries
- Manufacturing and industrial plants
- Paints, pesticides, petroleum products, disinfectants, sealants and other household and industrial products
- Coal mining
- And more!
The team at Hague Quality Water of Maryland can assist you in determining what your well water contains and what the cause of any issues might be. We also offer filtration and treatment solutions.
Is City Water Safer Than Well Water?
There is no one answer to this question, as it depends on where you live and how your water gets to your home. While some people assume city water is safer, there can be toxic lead from pipes that make it much worse than water from the average private well. The only way to know exactly what your water supply contains is through testing. Hague Quality Water of Maryland offers convenient water testing that will give you a close look at what your city water or well water contains. We can then review your report with you so that you feel empowered to make decisions about water treatment or filtration options for individual faucets or your whole home.
Treat Your Water with Hague Quality Water of Maryland
Whether you need the Hague WaterMax® System to treat your well water, or the Hague WaterMax® BEQ System for your city water, our team is here to help. Hague Quality Water of Maryland offers a variety of filtration and treatment options so you never have to worry about the quality of your home’s water. For additional assistance, call Hague Quality Water of Maryland at (410) 757-2992.
