Being made up of atoms of hydrogen and oxygen that are tightly bound together, water is known to be clean by nature. However, organic substances, minerals, chemicals, and contaminants created by humans can coexist with water supplies all across the world. As a result, the solution becomes unusable since it could be contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. This is where water treatment comes into the picture.
Unlike city water, which is treated and cleaned before entering your home, private well water is not. To remove common well water contaminants, a well water treatment system installation is required. With the help of this guide, you can better understand how well water gets contaminated and the various well-water treatment methods.
If the pump and screen are kept in good working order, most well water doesn't require much filtration. But there are numerous ways for a well to get contaminated. Aquifers can readily be contaminated by toxic compounds that have leached into them, poorly placed wells, or poorly maintained wells that allow contaminated water to enter.
Owners of private wells are advised to be aware of any surrounding land-use activities that can harm the quality of the groundwater. This covers animal grazing and feeding operations, insecticides, fertilizers, herbicides, and open dumping.
A sewage leak or the improper installation of septic tanks can also potentially contaminate your freshwater source. Runoff from metropolitan areas and naturally occurring substances like iron and manganese can also contaminate and harm the water supply.
The following pollutants could be present in well water:
Don’t worry, the right well water treatment methods can save you from consuming contaminated well water.
The health effects of drinking contaminated water vary depending on the type of contaminants.
Because you obtain your water directly from a well, you forgo many of the procedures and standards that safeguard those who use city water. They routinely test and monitor their water for impurities, disinfect it with chlorine, and treat it to maintain certain standards for flavor, purity, and other aspects. You don't get any of that. Instead, it is entirely up to the well owners to monitor and care for their water.
In case you utilize well water, below is a list of fundamental safety measures to follow:
Following are some of the most common well water treatment methods that you can implement effectively with the help of a reliable water well drilling company.
Using a physical barrier, chemical, biological, or another method, a water filter is a device that purifies water from contaminants.
Four primary categories of filtration systems exist:
When polluted water is heated to a boil, many of the solid pollutants are removed by collecting and condensing the steam in a different container. This process is known as distillation.
Does heating contaminated water render it safe to consume?
Depending on the contamination, yes. While things like lead, pesticides, and nitrates are unaffected by boiling water, microorganisms can be killed by it. Furthermore, as boiling dilutes the water, the pollutants' concentration rises as a result.
A water softener is equipment that decreases water hardness. To replace the calcium and magnesium ions that cause "hardness," a water softener often utilizes sodium or potassium ions instead.
Pathogenic bacteria can be inactivated or eliminated through the physical or chemical process of disinfection. Chlorine(Shock Chlorination is a go-to method of salvaging severely contaminated well water), Chlorine Dioxide, and ozone are a few examples of chemical disinfectants. Heat, electrical radiation, and ultraviolet light are some examples of physical disinfectants.
For the protection of our loved ones and our health, we cannot afford to drink contaminated water, which is a resource that is crucial to our daily needs. You now have a better understanding of the potential sources of well water contamination as well as the many treatment options available to you.