Water Conditioning FAQ

A: Since the earth is a natural filtration system, most well water is clean and safe to drink. It is not run off water in a reservoir or water from a river that could be contaminated, nor does it have sanitizing chemicals continually added to it. But, some wells can get bacteria in them. If bacteria intrudes into your well, usually a one-time shock chlorination eliminates the source. If it does not, an Ultraviolet light system can be installed to destroy the bacteria on a continual basis. It is guaranteed to do so and it does not produce DBP’s (disinfectant byproducts) like chlorine produces.

A: Although well water is normally microbiologically safe, some wells test positive for bacteria. Most of the time, the source of the contamination is from above ground. If the well does not have a sanitary bug proof cap, insects can enter the well head and cause a positive bacteria count. Health departments recommend having your water tested annually. All of our technicians have been trained to sample water for the certified labs in our area.

A: Health Departments recommend that you have your water tested once a year, or any time you notice a change in taste or odor. Water testing is one of the benefits of our Preferred Customer Service Agreement.

A: On the whole, well water is cleaner and purer than surface water because it is naturally filtered as it seeps through the fractures in the strata. In addition, well water is naturally sheltered underground and is less likely to become polluted than surface water. However, well water may be more mineralized than surface water because it dissolves various minerals as it slowly travels underground through the different rock formations. Consequently, it picks up various constituents from them. The unacceptability or desirability of the presence of these in water is usually a matter of individual preference.

Brown staining on your plumbing fixtures indicates a higher than normal level of iron in the water. Hard water creates white calcium deposits on pots used for heating water, or a “tough to remove” soap ring around the bathtub. Hard water will also make your hot water heater inefficient do to the calcium deposits building up on the heating elements. This mineral build-up reduces heat transfer to the water.

The most common issue with well water is low pH. A low pH level in water is very corrosive to copper pipes. It actually makes copper tubing thin which will eventually lead to pinhole leaks. Low pH is usually identified by blue-green stains on sinks, tubs and showers.

If you notice any of these signs or other problems, or you would like to find out the quality of your water, we offer free water analysis and estimates for water conditioning.

A: Staining is caused by either excessive minerals in your water or by low pH / corrosive water.

A: The answer to this depends on the quality of the water and volume of water you use. On average, conditioning costs between $1,500.00-$3,000.00. We provide free of charge on site water testing and a firm estimate with a full guarantee.

A: Coliform bacteria is a non-harmful bacteria family that is easily detected in water. Labs test for it as an indicator bacteria. If Coliform bacteria is present, then they know there has been some type of intrusion into the well. If coliform bacteria are present then there is the possibility of a harmful bacteria’s presence. Because of this possibility, the well should be shock chlorinated by a professional. We do, however, provide our customers with a detailed, easy to follow, set of instructions if you wish to tackle shock chlorination on your own.

Some customers wish to have long term protection from bacteria and they choose to install an Ultraviolet light system to destroy bacteria continually.