With many well water treatment options to choose from, how can you know which is best for you?
No one-size-fits-all treatment will tackle every problem. You might be simply looking for better-tasting drinking water (even though it’s not contaminated). Maybe your goal is to get rid of certain impurities, or maybe you need to be extra vigilant because a family member has a troubled immune system. For treatment options, you have two main choices: point of entry and point of use.
The point-of-entry systems are installed post-water meter and treat the water as it enters a home. The point-of-use systems treat your water in batches, and then deliver only treated water to the tap. Maybe it’s a specific bathroom sink that you want treated, or perhaps an auxiliary faucet. Within these two types of treatments are numerous possibilities. Here are a few of the most common:
- Softeners: These devices reduce hard minerals in the water. They can help improve taste and also prevent hard water buildup in showers and in sinks. Usually, potassium or sodium ions are used in place of magnesium or calcium ions (the “hard ions” that can cause so much trouble).
- Disinfection: This can be done either chemically or in an eco-friendly manner. Pathogenic microorganisms are identified and then killed or deactivated. One of the most well-known types of chemical disinfection is chlorine (like in a pool). You may also find electronic radiation as a physical disinfectant option, chlorine dioxide or ozone.
- Filtration: Filtration systems get rid of impurities with a barrier, a biological approach or a chemical process. One of the most common methods is simply putting a filter system on a tap to clean the water as it comes out.
- Distillation: Distilling water is similar to filtration, but it uses boiling and steaming to purify. The water is first boiled, then the steam is collected, condensed and then dispensed. That steamed water is kept in a different container, ensuring no contamination from the boiling process.
With so many options, how can you pick the best one for you? A reputable well technician can help you narrow down the choices based on your needs, preferences (chemical? eco-friendly?) and of course, budget. Also keep in mind that even if a well isn’t being actively used, it’s often required by law that it’s kept in good working condition for future usage.
If you’re planning to retire a well entirely, you can’t just stop using it. It must be plugged to safeguard groundwater and to keep humans and wildlife safe. Call Mike Zimmerman Well Services for all your well water treatment needs, or to get help choosing the best treatment option for you.
