Private well water is only as safe as the aquifer it comes from and the system that delivers it. Unlike municipal water, nobody is testing it for you — that's your responsibility. These guides cover testing, common contaminants, symptoms you can see and smell, and the treatment systems that actually work for each problem.
If you're not sure where to start, begin with the testing guide — it tells you what to test for, how to collect samples, and where to send them. If you already have test results, the treatment options guide helps you match the right system to your specific contaminants.
Testing and Treatment
How to Test Well Water: What to Test, When and Where to Send It
Annual bacteria and nitrate testing is the minimum. When to test for arsenic, lead, PFAS, and more. How to collect samples correctly and find a certified lab.
Well Water Treatment Options: Matching the Right System to Your Test Results
Iron, arsenic, bacteria, hardness, PFAS — each contaminant needs a different treatment. How to read your water test and choose the right system.
Water Softener vs. Water Filter: Which One Does Your Well Need?
They solve different problems. How to know which you need, when you need both, and the most common mistakes.
Is Reverse Osmosis Worth It for Well Water?
RO removes 95–99% of contaminants but wastes water and strips minerals. When it's the right choice and when a targeted system works better.
Symptoms You Can See and Smell
Why Well Water Smells Like Rotten Eggs
Hot water only vs. all water — one test splits the problem into two different fixes. Causes, the water-heater check, and treatment options.
Orange, Black or Blue-Green Stains: What Your Well Water Is Telling You
Your stain color identifies the contaminant. Orange = iron. Black = manganese. Blue-green = low pH corroding copper. The right treatment for each.
Cloudy or Milky Well Water: The Glass Test, Causes and Fixes
Fill a glass and wait. Clears from the bottom? Air bubbles, harmless. Stays cloudy? Here are the real causes and what to do about each.
Why Your Well Water Tastes Salty
Could be natural minerals, road salt, a softener malfunction, or saltwater intrusion. How to test and what the results mean for each cause.
Tannins in Well Water: What That Tea-Colored Water Is
Tannins color your water yellow-brown and stain laundry. A softener won't fix them. What tannins are and the treatment that works.
Specific Contaminants
Coliform Bacteria in Well Water: What a Positive Test Means
Total coliform means a contamination pathway exists. E. coli means stop drinking the water. Step-by-step response and when shock chlorination isn't enough.
Arsenic in Well Water
Tasteless, odorless, invisible — dissolves naturally from bedrock. The EPA limit, which regions are at risk, and treatment options that work.
Nitrates in Well Water
Above 10 mg/L is an immediate health risk for infants. Sources, annual testing, and the treatment options that actually work.
PFAS in Well Water: "Forever Chemicals"
Testing costs $250–$400+. Which wells are at risk, the EPA limits, and the three filter types proven to remove PFAS.
Lead in Well Water
Almost always comes from inside the house — old solder, brass fittings, or a lead service line. How to test correctly and reduce exposure.
Radon in Well Water
The risk isn't from drinking — it's from breathing radon released when you run water. How to test, when to treat, and which systems work.
Acidic Well Water: What Low pH Does to Your Plumbing
Blue-green stains, pinhole leaks, metallic taste — signs your water is corroding copper pipes. How acid neutralizers work and what they cost.