"Do you have well water or city water?" At first glance, water is just water... right? It comes out of the faucet, we take a shower, and move on with our day. Why does it matter where it comes from?
The truth is, neither water source is better than the other. They are simply different categories that define the possibilities of what could be in your water. The source of your water can have a huge impact on things like:
- Taste and smell
- Hardness content
- Dark staining
- Sediment in your water
- Increased home maintenance
Knowing whether your water came from a private well or from a municipal water treatment plant helps professionals narrow down what could be causing these issues. Let's break down the difference between the two.
What is Municipal Water (aka City Water)?
Municipal water, often called "city water," is supplied by a local water treatment plant before it is pushed out to your home. Then, the local utility company sends you a bill monthly (or quarterly) based on how much of that water you have used. With so many people living close together, it makes sense to have one water provider instead of each building tapping into the rivers, lakes, or reservoirs on their own.
The Good News About City Water
Since you don't have a choice about where your water comes from when you buy or build a house in the city, their water treatment plant is legally responsible for making sure your water is safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set guidelines that all public water sources must meet to protect you from any impurities that may be hazardous to your health.
"City Water" is the most common kind of public water supply, but places like schools, daycares, retirement facilities, restaurants, and campgrounds (even outside of city limits) also have to comply to the EPA water regulations. If a business serves water to at least 25 people for 2 or months per year, they are considered a public water supply.
So if someone else is taking care of the water treatment, the water coming from the tap is perfect—right? Unfortunately, that's not always the case.
The City Water Complaints
Municipal water regulations are a HUGE help to making sure you have a good quality water. But, they only have to remove impurities from the water that could harm your health. If you live in the parts of the U.S. that have hard water, the city will likely not soften the water for you. Hardness minerals are safe to drink, but they can cause:
- Limescale buildup that damages your fixtures and appliances
- Dry and itchy skin
- Frizzy, brittle hair
- Discolored or stiff laundry
Hardness won't cause any kind of medical issue, but that doesn't mean it's something you want to live with.
Also, as part of the city's water treatment process they need to make sure it stays safe after it leaves their facility. They add chlorine or chloramine (a mix of chlorine and ammonia) as a disinfectant to prevent bacteria growth as it travels through the city's plumbing.
Check out this article to learn more about why there is chlorine in your municipal water.
One other reason your tap water might not be good enough from the city is if you live in older house or apartment that was built using lead pipes. The city might be providing excellent water, but it doesn't do you any good once it touches the lead plumbing. The metals can leach into the water and turn it into something you or your family would want to drink.
What is Well Water?
Well water comes from natural aquifers (pockets of water) underground. Homes in rural areas have a hole drilled somewhere on their property that will give them access to this ground water and it's pumped directly into the house for use.
Unlike city water, well water is completely privately owned by the individual—so no monthly billed based on how much water you use! But that also means the individual has to take it upon themselves to do any kind of water treatment if the quality of the groundwater isn't ideal.
Common Well Water Complaints
Water's ability to dissolve and erode the land it passes through is amazing—just look at the Grand Canyon! So the type of well water problems you will find will vary greatly by the type of soil and bedrock formations in your area.
About 90% of the United States experiences hard water (calcium and magnesium dissolved into the water) from large amounts of limestone. Areas like New England that have more sand than rocks don't have to worry about hardness.
When it comes to well water, the list of possible contaminants is a lot longer. For example, the top 5 issues we usually find in well water are:
- Hard Water
- Iron and/or Manganese
- Sulfur Smell ("Rotten Eggs")
- Low pH (Acidic Water)
- Sediment
This may sound like a lot, but most homes will not experience all of these at the same time. Depending on your area, you may be seeing symptoms from just one or two water issues. Plus, there's no need to get too worried about any of them because they can all be easily removed by water treatment systems.
One thing we know for sure will not be in well water is chlorine, since that is an additive done by a city. Remember that chlorine treats bacteria. Most well water naturally doesn't have any bacteria present.
But if your well cap or casing become compromised by cracking or any other damage, then bugs, dirt, or even rodents can get inside and bring bacteria with them. You'll be able to see if there's bacteria in your well water with a test.
Since most people aren't testing their well water often, usually the first sign that bacteria has gotten into the well is that drinking tap water starts to make you feel sick. Drinking the water isn't permanently harmful, it will give you an upset stomach and/or diarrhea.
During times of bacteria contamination, well water owners can do the same thing to disinfect it as the municipalities do for city water: add chlorine. It's called "shocking" a well by adding bleach to the system to work it's magic to bring the bacteria levels down. It's critical to find the damage to your well and seal it to ensure more bacteria doesn't get inside in the future.
Well Water vs. City Water
The bottom line is: whether you water comes from a municipal treatment plant or a private well, every water supply has it's own quirks. Both well water and city water can provide excellent water to your home if treated properly.
The key is understanding what's actually in your water so the proper system can match the type of contaminants you have.
If you're interested in finding a water treatment professional in your area, we can recommend one from our industry network who will evaluate your current water quality and provide a system tailored to your home's needs.