Well, WEll, WELL Water?

What Do You Know About Wells?

Clean and safe drinking water is still to this day a socially economical hurdle for many countries around the world. Disease and illness run their course through billions of people every day due to contamination and lack of means to clean their water used for Human use. The United States has some of the safest water for human use and consumption.

“If you are among the million[s] of Americans that get their water from a community water system, your tap water is regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)” (CDC, P.1, 2009).

Private Wells provide water to over 15 million homes in the United States. Since the water is not regulated by the EPA for public use, the owner of the Well is responsible for testing the water to make sure the water is safe for human consumption and meets the EPA standards of public water.

Well water can be contaminated through several sources like sewage, fertilizers and plumbing lines.
Bacteria, parasites, nitrate, lead, arsenic and organic chemicals are just a few contaminants that can make you very sick if the Well that supplies your drinking water is not monitored and tested (EPA, P.1, 2019).

Water run-off and groundwater movement are common ways wells can become contaminated and without proper sanitation of the water, your tap water will contain harmful chemicals and waste that can cause serious illness and even death.

The 2 most well-known contaminants are E. coli and Lead!

E. coli can be killed or inactivated by boiling your tap water for one full minute. If you are above 6,500 feet in elevation, boil for three minutes. Water that is saved after boiling should be stored in the refrigerator in a container with a TIGHT cover. To learn more about E. coli and its effects on people who ingest these bacteria, visit our E. coli Exposure blog (CDC, P.1, 2015).

Lead usually is leached into water supplies through old pipes as water travels to commercial or residential destinations such as manufacturing plants and homes. “Private wells more than 20 years old may contain lead in the “packer” element that is used to help seal the well above the well screen” (CDC, P.1, 2015). Unfortunately, boiling your water will not get rid of lead, in fact the concentration can increase when the water evaporates. A carbon filter can help with lead removal. Check out our Aqua UV Life Plus Series to remove harmful contaminants from your tap water.