How do you know if your well water is contaminated?

What are the symptoms of contaminated well water?

Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, nausea, headaches, fever, fatigue, and even death sometimes. Infants, children, elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get sick or die from disease-causing microorganisms in drinking water.

What is the most common contaminant in well water?

Can well water cause health issues?

Phosphates and nitrates can leach into the groundwater. And those chemicals cause a number of health issues, such as kidney problems and cancer. These risks are high for pregnant and nursing women, infants and the elderly.

How do you test for toxins in well water?

Often county health departments will help you test for bacteria or nitrates. If not, you can have your water tested by a state certified laboratory. You can find one in your area by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or visiting www.epa.gov/safewater/labs.

How to Test Your Well Water

How do you fix contaminated well water?

You can use regular household bleach to disinfect a well. The chlorine in the bleach will destroy bacteria. Check the label on the bottle to make sure the bleach does not have any kind of additives (ex: scent, detergent).

How can I test my water at home without a kit?

Fill the bottle one-third full, add a few drops of pure liquid soap and shake vigorously for a few seconds. If there is a distinct lack of fluffy bubbles and the water appears cloudy and/or milky, your water is hard.

Can you shower in contaminated well water?

Bathing poses no risk, unless you have open wounds, and make sure that children do not swallow the bath water. Continue taking these precautions until a test shows your water is free of bacteria, she said.

How do I know if my well is good?

Check the well quantity!

You can also have the flow rate and the yield of the well tested by professionals with the right equipment. A professional well inspection will do just that. Just because a well has clean, safe drinking water does not mean that it contains enough water to meet the needs of your household.

How common is well water contamination?

Californians are largely left in the dark about the safety of their drinking water: Less than 9% of roughly 14,350 public drinking water wells in the state have been tested for PFOA and PFOS. State requirements have focused on areas considered vulnerable to contamination, such as near airports and landfills.

Can you get parasites from well water?

Giardia parasites are found in lakes, ponds, rivers and streams worldwide, as well as in public water supplies, wells, cisterns, swimming pools, water parks and spas. Ground and surface water can become infected with giardia from agricultural runoff, wastewater discharge or animal feces.

How common is bacteria in well water?

The occurrence of bacteria in water is common, treatable, and in most cases, preventable. The ideal situation is to have no bacteria in drinking water, although most bacteria in water wells are harmless and pose little health risk. Ground water in the majority of properly constructed drilled wells is bacteria free.

How long does it take to get sick from contaminated water?

Symptoms of gastrointestinal illness from contaminated water can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting. Those symptoms can take 24 to 48 hours to develop, says Forni, so you might not get sick for a day or two after drinking bad water.

Can you fix a contaminated well?

On-site treatment processes like disinfection, distillation, and filtration may remove the contaminants found in your well water. However, depending on the contaminant, its concentration, and the condition of the well, you may need a new source of water or to drill a new well.

What happens if my well is contaminated?

If your well has been contaminated (or you think it may have been contaminated), drink bottled water or clean water from another source. If none of these options are available, follow Boil Water Advisory (BWA) guidelines to minimize the risk of contracting a waterborne illness.

What kind of bacteria can be found in well water?

Fecal coliform bacteria are a sub-group of total coliform bacteria. They appear in great quantities in the intestines and feces of people and animals. The presence of these bacteria indicates that your well water is contaminated with feces or sewage, and it has the potential to cause disease.

Can I test my own water for bacteria?

If you suspect contamination it is best to have the water tested at a state certified laboratory. However, if you want to see if coliform is present or not, there are some excellent low-cost kits now available that can tell you if bacteria is present right at home.

How can I test my water at home?

Why does my well water smell like sewage?

If your cold well water smells like sewage, it can be the result of several causes: Hydrogen sulfide from iron, sulfur or other types of bacteria naturally occurring in your well water. Contaminated pipes with layers of bio-film caused by various types of iron, sulfur, or other types of bacteria.

What is the black sediment in my well water?

There are three main causes for black sand, material or sediment in well water: minerals such as iron oxide or manganese, clay particles from soil or mud, and organic matter such as plant roots or animal hair decomposing – all of which will sink through the water column when they reach the bottom of your well.

Which filter is best for drinking water?

How often should a well be cleaned?

9. As a routine maintenance practice, clean your well at least once a year. If you have an iron or sulfur bacteria problem, clean more often.

How often should you sanitize a well?

Homeowners with private wells should have their well water tested every 3 to 5 years for some contaminants, including bacteria. If these tests turn up positive for bacteria, chlorinating the well may be a way to resolve the problem.