Choosing the Right Treatment Starts With Testing Your Well Water
One of the most common questions we hear from private well homeowners is:
“What water treatment system do I need for my well?”
Our answer usually starts with another question:
When was the last time your well water was tested?
That’s because there isn’t one water treatment system that’s right for every private well. The right equipment depends on what’s actually in the water, at what concentration, and what other water-quality conditions are present.
At Artisanal Water Solutions, we recommend starting with an in-home well water test and consultation. We’ll test the water, discuss any problems you’re experiencing, review existing laboratory results if you have them, and determine whether additional testing is necessary.
In many cases, homeowners don’t need to begin by paying for an expensive laboratory analysis or purchasing a predetermined whole-house well water filtration system.
Start with the water—not the equipment.
How Do You Choose the Right Well Water Treatment System?
Choosing the right well water treatment system starts with testing the water.
Hardness, iron, low pH, sulfur, manganese, nitrates, and bacteria are different water-quality conditions that may require different treatment technologies. It’s also common for more than one condition to be present in the same well.
In our experience testing private wells throughout the Lake Norman and greater Charlotte area, hardness, iron, and low pH are among the conditions we encounter most frequently. We also regularly find nitrates and encounter sulfur, manganese, and other water-quality concerns.
This is why we’re cautious about one-size-fits-all whole-house well water filtration systems.
A system designed primarily for hard water isn’t necessarily the right solution for acidic water. Iron treatment can depend on the iron concentration, pH, and other water chemistry. And contaminants such as nitrate require completely different treatment technologies.
The water test should determine the treatment.
Start With an In-Home Well Water Test and Consultation
Before spending money on extensive laboratory testing or water-treatment equipment, we recommend talking with us first.
Our in-home consultation helps determine where you are in the testing process and what information we actually need.
We typically start by asking:
When was your well water last tested?
Your answer helps determine what happens next.
If You’ve Never Had Your Well Water Tested
We’ll start by evaluating the water and discussing what you’re experiencing in the home.
Staining, scale, odor, corrosion, and other symptoms can provide useful clues, but testing gives us the information needed to understand what’s actually happening.
From there, we can determine whether the onsite testing provides enough information or whether additional laboratory testing makes sense.
If You Already Have Water Test Results
Keep them.
This is especially important for newer wells, where homeowners may already have a more comprehensive laboratory analysis.
Rather than paying to repeat testing unnecessarily, we can review those results along with our evaluation of the water.
Those reports may contain valuable information that can help us design the appropriate well water treatment system.
If Additional Laboratory Testing Is Needed
There are situations where more extensive laboratory testing makes sense.
Depending on the well, property, existing test results, or a particular concern, additional testing may evaluate contaminants such as:
- Lead
- Arsenic
- Chromium
- Radium
- Other contaminants requiring laboratory analysis
Comprehensive laboratory testing can provide valuable information, but it can also be considerably more expensive than an initial onsite evaluation.
That’s why we don’t believe every homeowner should automatically begin by ordering the largest available water test.
Let us help determine what testing makes sense before you pay for testing you may not need.
Common Well Water Problems in Lake Norman & Charlotte
Every private well is different, but after testing well water throughout the Lake Norman and Charlotte area, there are several conditions we encounter regularly.
Hard Water
Hard water contains dissolved calcium and magnesium and can cause:
- White scale
- Spots on fixtures and glassware
- Buildup inside water-using appliances
- Scale on faucets and shower doors
- Reduced soap performance
When hardness is the primary concern, an appropriately sized water softener for well water may be the solution.
However, hardness is only one part of the water profile. We still want to understand the other water conditions before selecting equipment.
Iron in Well Water
Iron is another condition we frequently encounter in local private wells.
Homeowners often recognize iron because of orange or reddish-brown staining in toilets, sinks, showers, and laundry.
Depending on the iron concentration, form of iron, pH, and other water chemistry, treatment may involve water softening or oxidation and filtration.
This is why an iron problem shouldn’t automatically result in the same iron filter for well water being installed at every home.
The application matters.
Low pH Well Water
Low-pH water is acidic and can contribute to corrosion of plumbing and fixtures.
Homeowners may notice:
- Blue-green staining
- Corrosion
- Metallic taste
- Plumbing deterioration
- Premature fixture or plumbing problems
Low pH can typically be addressed through acid neutralization, but pH also needs to be considered when designing treatment for other water-quality problems.
For example, we sometimes encounter wells with relatively low hardness but low pH and iron.
That home doesn’t necessarily need the same equipment as a home with significant hardness and neutral pH.
Nitrates in Well Water
Nitrates are different because homeowners generally can’t see, taste, or smell them.
At Artisanal Water Solutions, we test for nitrates at every private well water appointment, and we find them fairly often in the areas we serve.
Many of the results we see are below the EPA drinking-water standard of 10 mg/L when measured as nitrate-nitrogen, while occasionally we find concentrations above that level.
When nitrate is present, we recommend reverse osmosis for drinking and cooking water. For households with small children, we also recommend discussing whole-house nitrate treatment so the homeowner can understand both options.
Sulfur in Well Water
The familiar rotten-egg smell associated with some private wells is often described as a sulfur problem.
We do encounter sulfur-related odor in wells throughout our service area.
Depending on the source of the odor and the rest of the water chemistry, treatment may involve oxidation and filtration or another appropriate treatment method.
Again, the goal is to determine what’s causing the problem before selecting the equipment.
Manganese in Well Water
Manganese can create dark brown or black staining around toilets, sinks, showers, and other fixtures.
In our experience around Lake Norman, manganese is generally accompanied by other water-quality conditions rather than appearing as the only issue.
Depending on the manganese concentration and water chemistry, treatment may involve water softening, oxidation and filtration, or another appropriate approach.
Bacteria in Well Water
Bacteria can be present in private well water without changing its appearance, taste, or smell.
The EPA recommends that private well owners test annually for total coliform bacteria, along with nitrate, total dissolved solids, and pH.
At Artisanal Water Solutions, we also recommend UV disinfection for our private well customers as an additional microbiological barrier, along with routine bacteria testing.
UV has a specific purpose. It doesn’t correct hardness, iron, low pH, nitrate, or other chemical water-quality problems—which is another example of why there isn’t one piece of equipment that solves every well water problem.
What Does a Whole-House Well Water Filtration System Actually Need?
The phrase “whole-house well water filtration system” can make it sound as though there’s one standard system every well needs.
There isn’t.
Depending on the results of the water test, a properly designed system might include:
- Water softening
- Acid neutralization
- Oxidation and filtration
- Specialized contaminant removal
- UV disinfection
- Reverse osmosis for drinking water
Some homes may need only one primary treatment technology. Others may have several water-quality conditions that need to be addressed.
The goal isn’t to install the greatest amount of equipment possible.
It’s to install the right equipment for the water.
Do You Need a Comprehensive Laboratory Water Test?
Not necessarily.
There is an important difference between an in-home water treatment evaluation and a comprehensive laboratory analysis.
More extensive laboratory testing may be appropriate when:
- A new well has been installed
- Existing results identify a concern
- Property conditions suggest additional testing
- There is a specific contaminant or health-related concern
- A contaminant requires laboratory analysis to accurately identify
A comprehensive analysis may include testing for contaminants such as arsenic, lead, chromium, radium, and others.
But more testing isn’t automatically better if the information isn’t relevant to the homeowner’s situation.
That’s one reason we recommend calling us before paying for extensive testing.
We can review what you already know about the well, perform the initial in-home evaluation, and help determine whether additional laboratory testing would provide useful information.
Well Water Testing & Treatment in Lake Norman and Charlotte
If you’re searching for a well water treatment system in Lake Norman or Charlotte, you don’t need to figure out which equipment to buy before calling us.
Artisanal Water Solutions provides in-home well water testing and consultations for homeowners throughout Lake Norman, Mooresville, Huntersville, Cornelius, Denver, Charlotte, Concord, and surrounding communities.
We’ll evaluate the water, discuss the problems you’re experiencing, review any laboratory results you already have, and determine whether additional testing is necessary before recommending a treatment system.
The goal isn’t to sell you a predetermined well water filtration system. It’s to determine what your water actually needs.
Not Sure What Well Water System You Need? Start Here.
If you’re trying to determine the best water treatment system for your well water, don’t start by shopping for equipment.
And don’t assume you need to purchase an expensive laboratory test before speaking with a water-treatment professional.
Start by calling Artisanal Water Solutions.
We’ll begin with an in-home water test and consultation and determine where you are in the testing process.
If you already have useful laboratory results, we’ll review them.
If additional testing is necessary, we’ll explain what we recommend and why.
And once we understand the water, we can design the appropriate treatment system for your home.
Test the water. Understand what’s in it. Then design the right system.
A conventional water softener is not designed to remove nitrate. The same is true
Good treatment starts with knowing what’s actually in your water. Contact Artisanal Water today and get a free water test expert guidance for your well water. Call or text (704) 315-6344 or fill out our contact form
