Jacksonville Well Water Testing and Treatment

Annual Water Quality Testing is Extremely Important

Over 15 million American households get their water from a private well. The EPA oversees and regulates public water supplies but private well water quality is strictly the responsibility of the homeowner. Water quality testing in Jacksonville – especially well water – is extremely important to be sure you have a clean water supply for your family to use for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and bathing.

Testing well water is particularly important because many of the contaminants in water supplies are tasteless and odorless. The water supply is dependent on the groundwater around you, so even if your water didn’t have a certain contaminant last year, it might have been introduced at any time. This is why it is recommended to have your water professionally tested at least once per year in addition to preforming regular basic maintenance yourself.

All Florida Soft Water Can Help

Ultimately, well water will never be perfect (neither will city water, so testing is wise for any homeowner), but there are steps you can take to improve the water quality in your home. Whether you want to disinfect your water with UV light, get better drinking water with reverse osmosis, reduce levels of iron with a filtration system, or eliminate the problems hard water can cause using a water softener, All Florida Soft Water will be able to help you find a solution.

Your health and the health of your family are too important to let a preventable water contamination get in the way. Reach out to one of our trusted experts today to schedule a test for your well water.

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11 Warning Signs of Well Water Contaminants

There are many things you need to know about owning a well. Here are 11 of the most common contaminants you need to know about.

Iron and Manganese
These contaminants are naturally occurring and most groundwater will show trace amounts. But if you are near large amounts of limestone, shale or coal, you may have elevated levels which impacts the groundwater feeding your well. Look for a metallic taste and/or reddish/brown discoloration – iron or manganese may be the culprit.
Hydrogen Sulfide
Smelling rotten eggs when you turn on the faucet? It could be hydrogen sulfide gas trapped inside your water coming from high sulfur content in the ground. Be aware of this if you live near a marshy area or on a farm near a manure pit. Not only does it smell but sulfides can also corrode your plumbing and leave black stains anywhere you use a lot of water.
Copper
Similarly to iron, copper is naturally occurring. But if you notice a blue/green discoloration in your water, you may have corroding copper pipes. This could indicate a bigger issue in your plumbing infrastructure or unusually acidic water flowing through those pipes. You can perform a simple pH test to check your water’s acidity. If it is significantly lower than 7 its acidic properties will strip the metal from your plumbing and faucets. Other sources of copper contamination could be a result of mining or manufacturing activities close to you.
Calcium
If you are having hard water problems, high mineral counts from your bedrock are likely the cause, with calcium being the most common. Magnesium is another. As water passes through the ground, it dissolves and limestone or other rocks it comes in contact with and carries these minerals with it into your home. These contaminants are rarely harmful to your health but they can still cause a strange taste in the water, soap scum buildup, minor skin irritation and extra wear and tear on your water using appliances.
Sodium Chloride
Also known as salt, extra sodium chloride can easily infiltrate your groundwater if you live along a highway or near a parking lot treated with road salt during the winter months in colder areas of the country. The runoff could lead to a white residue in your water and alter the taste a bit. It would have an especially negative impact if you are on a sodium-restricted diet. You may also see salt water intrusion if you own a home off the coast. Shifts in the weather can cause the water from the ocean to mix with groundwater more or less than usual.
Other Chemicals and Minerals
The aforementioned items only begin to scratch the surface of chemicals and minerals that could invade your water supply. PFOS chemicals, arsenic and silica are other possible water contaminants to watch out for depending on your geographic area. Radon gas is another – it’s colorless, tasteless, odorless, and radioactive, which amplifies the need for testing.
Dirt
A contaminant doesn’t have to be microscopic for it to be an issue. If dirt and sediment get into your well pump, large particles and murky water could also make their way into your tap. This could mean larger structural integrity concerns with your well, pump, tank, or pipes.
Air
Have you noticed your faucets sputtering before water begins to flow normally? You may have excess air in your system. While this will not have a negative impact on your health, it’s still a contaminant in the sense that it’s something coming through your pipes that you don’t want to be there. But more importantly, it could indicate a change in the water table, damage to your drop pipe, or an issue with your well. It’s an issue worth paying attention to.
Suspended Organic and Inorganic Particles
Plant matter, leaf litter, insects getting inside your well cap and other environmental factors like erosion, flooding and fires can contribute to organic or inorganic particulate matter entering your water supply. Yellow or white/cloudy discoloration could be an indicator of such contamination, though it may not be quite so obvious.
Nitrates
In addition to organic and inorganic particles, there are chemical units that can combine with those compounds, like nitrates or nitrogen-oxygen compounds. While they are nutrients for plants, excess amounts of nitrates can leach into groundwater, especially after a heavy rain or flooding. Fertilizers can also contain nitrates that can make it into your well water – especially considering they don’t bind well to soil. There are a variety of health issues that are possible with exposure to excess nitrates, especially for babies under 6 months old, but since they are microscopic, it’s hard to tell they are there without testing for it.
Coliform Bacteria
Bacteria, like Giardia, or E. coli – can enter your water supply through animal waste. These can come from places like a manure pit or sewage from a septic tank. They can also come from the bodies of decomposing animals that may have found their way into your well cap and then were unable to find their way out. You can’t see or smell these bacteria, which makes testing for them even more important – especially after a sewage overflow or recent flooding. Storm or agricultural runoff could be all it takes for bacteria to make their way into your well water. While consuming water with bacteria isn’t necessarily harmful to your health, you might notice it giving you an upset stomach or diarrhea.

How to test water quality

The National Groundwater Association provides excellent online resources for homeowners with private wells. Visit WellOwner.org to learn more about well maintenance, water quality, and water treatment options.

The first step in water quality control is knowing how to upkeep basic well maintenance yourself. However, the best way to ensure you are protecting yourself and your family from tasteless, odorless, and colorless contaminants is through annual testing by a licensed professional. Samples of your water should be sent to a certified laboratory, which can give you detailed results about your water.