Every homeowner that relies on water from a private well needs to understand exactly what they might be drinking. Unfortunately, many private wells can have issues with microorganisms and other contaminants that lead to serious health problems because they do not receive the same level of testing and upkeep as municipal water supplies. Because you are in charge of protecting your own well water, you need to understand what is lurking in your well and if there are microorganisms in your well water.
What Contaminants Are Present in Wells?
There are many different substances that can be found in private wells, including:
- Microorganisms
- Nitrate and nitrite
- Heavy metals
- Organic chemicals
- Radionuclides
- Fluoride
What Are Microorganisms?
Microorganisms are things like viruses, parasites and bacteria. While they naturally occur throughout our environment, that does not necessarily make them safe or healthy for us to consume. Some of the places that they exist in our daily lives include human sewage and animal waste. Pathogens from septic systems and sewers can enter our drinking water supply and lead to serious health impacts.
What Are the Health Effects of Microorganisms in Your Well?
Coliform bacteria is one of the most hazardous microorganisms in water, and you will probably recognize it by one of the common types—E. coli. If you consume water that has microorganisms like E. coli inside of it, you could experience:
- Diarrhea
- Cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Death
The people who are most seriously impacted by ingesting microorganisms in your well water will be infants, children, people with compromised immune systems and the elderly.
How Can You Protect Your Family and Your Health?
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets the standards for public water systems, but they do not test individual wells like yours. As a result, it’s critical that you perform tests to determine if there are microorganisms in your well. The EPA recommends that you:
- Build your well in a safe spot and perform testing immediately after construction to ensure there are no issues that are immediately apparent.
- Inspect your well regularly for any damage, and contact an experienced well contractor if you notice any damage.
- Test your well water annually using a safe, proven laboratory. At Hague Quality Water of Maryland, we offer comprehensive water testing services. Once the testing is done, you will get a copy of the results. Next, the team at Hague Quality Water of Maryland will contact you to talk about options for further well testing and treatment and the right way to eliminate any microorganisms or dangerous compounds from your well water. Regardless of the situation that you are experiencing, Hague has a solution for you.
- If there is flooding in your area and floodwaters are within 50 feet of your well or your water changes afterward in terms of smell, taste or appearance, you should disinfect it with a chlorine solution or have an experienced well contractor take care of it for you.
- Conduct routine maintenance of any potential sources of bacteria and contamination that are in or around your home. Things like household septic systems are more likely to be an issue than floodwater, so maintaining them is serious.
- If bacteria is detected in your water, you should immediately stop using it for preparing food or drinking until you address the problem. If you have to use the water in the meantime, you must make sure that it is boiled at a full rolling boil for at least a minute.
How Can I Take Care of Problems with My Well Water?
Once you get results back from your well water testing, we will help you determine the best path forward. One of our water quality and well water experts will work directly with you to look at different ways to remove poor odor or taste, dangerous bacteria and other substances from your well water. Many of our clients who have private wells use the WaterMax® System as a versatile and powerful filtration solution. Through the WaterMax® System’s innovative filtration process, you can remove salt, sediment, debris, dirt and other substances.
Most importantly for microorganisms in your well, the WaterMax® System can be used in conjunction with other treatment methods, like UV water filtration. These systems are very powerful and effective at getting contaminants out of the water, and our WaterMax® System will make sure that the water coming out of your faucets and pipes is clean and safe to drink. Our whole-house water treatment systems can be adjusted to meet the needs of your family based on the results of your well water testing. Depending on what testing indicates, your solution might use our WaterMax® System and reverse osmosis, salt-free chlorine removal, iron removal, UV disinfection or other methods to take your well water from dangerous to delicious.
The WaterMax® System comes with a 25-year Manufacturer’s Limited Warranty, so you have our promise that if something with your system goes wrong in that period of time, we will make the proper repairs or replace it.
Avoid Microorganisms in Your Well Water with Hague Quality Water of Maryland
If your family lives in Anne Arundel, Queen Anne’s Montgomery or Prince George’s County and you are concerned about the quality and contents of your water, we are here to help with your water improvement projects. Whether you need the Hague WaterMax® System or additional filtration beyond that, our team cares deeply about the health and safety of your family. For additional assistance, call Hague Quality Water of Maryland at (410) 757-2992.
