Is Well Water Drinkable?

In households, water can be used from several sources – from the water mains, from a private water borehole, and from a well. Water from a shallow dug well generally has the lowest quality. However, this does not mean it is not drinkable. How can you determine if your well water is suitable for consumption and how should you properly treat this water?

Composition of Well Water

First and foremost, it is important to say that unlike water from the public water supply, in the case of your own sources, you are responsible for its quality.

In other words, you must determine whether it is drinkable. How? Through a professional water analysis from an accredited laboratory. A mere look or taste of the water will not reveal much about its composition.

Similarly, you cannot rely on a water analysis from, say, your neighbours – each well has water with a unique composition. Home tests of well water are unreliable and the results are only indicative. You should have your well water analysed at least once a year, but also after heavy rains, floods, during dry periods or after building a new septic tank or sewer near the well, etc.

The analysis will reveal the exact composition of your water and the extent to which it contains various impurities. Then compare the analysis results with the permissible values of individual substances. Hygienic requirements for drinking water are set by Decree No. 83/2014 Coll. Proper interpretation of the analysis results is extremely important and should be done professionally.

According to available data, water from private sources is used by about 10% of households in the Czech Republic. Of these, up to 90% show some type of hazardous contamination. Therefore, be really cautious when consuming well water.

Possible Hazardous Substances in Well Water

The analysis may reveal the presence of several types of pollutants. These include:

• Mechanical impurities: These are most often sand and other insoluble particles in the water. Although this contamination does not pose a significant risk to human health, mechanical impurities clog pumps, pipes, and appliances, and can even destroy them completely.
• Biological contamination: This includes various soil microorganisms, as well as dangerous bacteria from faeces, which can enter the well from the soil with rainwater or seep from septic tanks.
• Chemical contamination: Rainwater seeps into shallow wells, bringing with it contamination from agriculture (artificial fertilizers), industry, and transport.

What to Do if Well Water Does Not Meet Hygienic Standards?

If well water contains hazardous substances in excessive amounts, you essentially have two options – use it only as utility water (for watering, flushing toilets, etc.), or filter and treat it appropriately. Since well water generally has low quality, some form of treatment is practically always necessary.

Only a professional analysis from an accredited laboratory will reveal the exact composition of well water

How to Filter and Treat Well Water

The water analysis revealed hazardous contamination, but you have no other source of drinking water? In that case, opt for suitable filtration and treatment of well water. The specific system for treating well water to make it drinkable should always be designed by an expert based on the analysis results.

What filters can be used for well water?

Mechanical Filtration

Mechanical impurity filters clean your water of solid particles, such as sand, clay, and others. These filters contain a fine mesh that needs to be regularly cleaned by backwashing, or the filter can be fitted with automatic backwashing.

Removal of Undesirable Chemical Substances

Wells usually contain increased levels of nitrates from agriculture. Nitrates and nitrites in water are very dangerous to human health as they are carcinogenic and also reduce the blood's ability to carry oxygen. These substances pose a particularly high risk to young children and pregnant women. Nitrates and nitrites can be removed from water with a filter containing anion exchange resin. Most other chemical contamination can be handled by a carbon filter.

Water Disinfection

If you have a well, for example, in your garden or at a cottage where you do not spend much time, you can disinfect the water by boiling. After about 5 minutes of boiling, the water is safely rid of all microorganisms. However, this solution is not suitable for larger volumes of water in family homes. In such cases, you can disinfect the water using chemical disinfectants (e.g., chlorine) or more environmentally friendly UV lamps.

Removal of Iron and Water Softening

Another common problem with well water is a high content of iron, manganese, and calcium. These substances do not pose a risk to human health but shorten the lifespan of household appliances and devices. Calcium forms limescale, while iron and manganese cause turbidity in the water and unsightly stains. These problems can be solved by installing a home water softening system (water softener) and a filter for iron-laden well water.

Well Maintenance

In addition to filtering and treating water, maintaining the well itself is very important. Clean the well every 2-3 years, but also if it is clogged, for example, after heavy rains. You can enlist the help of professionals or do the cleaning yourself. How to do it?

1. First, pump out all the water from the well using a submersible sludge pump.
2. Manually remove coarse impurities from the bottom and walls of the well. Then remove finer impurities with a brush or pressure washer.
3. Check the seals and repair any cracks.
4. Disinfect the bottom and walls of the well, for example, with bleach.
5. Spread clean gravel or sand on the bottom of the well.
6. After refilling the well, pump out the water into the sewer, as it will contain traces of disinfectants.
7. After refilling the well again, wait 2-3 days and take a sample for analysis. Do not use the water until you have the analysis results.

In addition to the well, do not forget about regular cleaning and maintenance of the submersible water pump, filters, and water distribution from the well. Note - a well pump and a borehole pump are not the same. Submersible borehole pumps have a specific elongated shape, while submersible well pumps are designed to also pump water with small mechanical impurities.

Having your own water source brings many advantages – financial savings, independence from the public water supply network, and a higher ecological standard of living. However, with these advantages also comes responsibility. Pay attention to the quality of well water and ensure healthy water for yourself and your family.

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