Living in Florida, we are fortunate to have a large source of groundwater. Aquifers are the main source of drinking water in our state, whether it’s well water or public water. Most groundwater is naturally clean and free of contaminants but aquifers can become contaminated – and cause illness – through bacteria, nitrates, chemicals, poorly maintained septic systems, nearby livestock areas, poorly built wells, leaking gasoline storage tanks, pesticides, storm water run-off and many other causes. All these things can affect the safety of your well water.
Public water is routinely monitored and tested by state officials and utility personnel, and if they discover a problem, steps are taken to fix it. Testing your private well, however, is your responsibility.
Even if you experience no foul smells or tastes, nobody has become sick, and your well passed inspection when it was first built, you should have your water tested once a year by a state-certified laboratory. This process ranges from $20-$70 if you collect samples and take them to a lab, to $50-$100 if you hire a pro to collect samples for you. Testing water every year is the best way to make sure your well water remains safe to drink and prevent larger and more expensive problems in the future.
In addition to testing yearly, you can help keep your well water clean. Never pour chemicals down your drains, and don’t store pesticides or fertilizers near your well. Don’t let rainfall puddle around your well, and dispose of used car oil and other chemicals at proper facilities
Healthy Water Systems offers residential water treatment systems for well water users, removing mineral and scale problems along with rotten egg smells (from sulfur) and orange stains (from iron). Bring a water sample to us today to have it analyzed for free! We’d be happy to provide you with an estimate for a water treatment system, and we guarantee we will beat any competitor’s written price quote by at least 20%!
Source: floridahealth.gov
Deckard & Company.