Many of our customers live in Harford or Baltimore County, Maryland and have a private well that supplies water to their home. When you have one source of water flowing straight from the ground into your home, it’s important to know that water is clean and clear. After all, it’s the water you use for drinking, washing your dishes, bathing and cleaning your clothing. Contaminated water is not something to ignore or put off.
Furthermore, if you or someone in your family has any sensitivity to certain elements, bacteria or contaminants, it’s even more important to verify your well water is clean to keep your family from getting sick.
Residents in the Maryland area share similar water profiles and there are a few common water symptoms to look for in this area. These indicators might mean you need water treatment or could have a well water contamination.
Smells and Tastes
If the drinking water from your well has a metallic taste, it’s indicative of presence of mineral elements like iron, copper, zinc and manganese. These are common and naturally occurring, however, too much of these elements can be harmful. An abundance of any of these elements may be signs of corrosion in copper plumbing
If your water tastes like dirty, or has a musty taste, it may be due to the presence of algae in your water. It’s unlikely it can make you sick, but it definitely doesn’t taste good!
If your water stinks like a swamp, or rotten eggs, it’s due to hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is very corrosive to your plumbing. It’s naturally occurring in soil and organic matter (and sewage) and is released into the groundwater. Hydrogen sulfide is a poisonous, flammable gas, but generally is not harmful in low concentrations found in drinking water. Because of the possibility of harmful bacteria in this water, it’s strongly recommended the water be tested.
If you experience any of these smells or tastes in your drinking water, be sure to call us to have your water tested. They may be a result of naturally occurring and non-harmful elements, but they may also be indicative of a larger problem or well contamination that could make you sick.
Stains
If your water is staining your sink, it can be one of two problems. That green-blue stain near the drain is a result of the water having a low pH. Problems with low or high pH can easily be rectified with a water softener.
If you see brown or orange staining in your sink, it could be a result of iron or manganese in your water. Sometimes it will even leave stains your clothes, appliances and toilets.
Cloudy / Milky Water
If your water appears to be milky, whitish, cloudy or unclear in some way, it’s likely suspended solids in the water, but it could also be because of air bubbles. If the cloudiness dissipates quickly, it’s due to air bubbles related to the water pressure. In this case it’s not at all harmful to drink. If the cloudiness lingers, there may be silt, sediment, or other minerals present in a dissolved form in the water.
Because there is a possibility of bacterial growth associated with excessive dissolved solids, we encourage having your water tested.
Call Anyway
You may have gotten used to some of these irregularities in your water if they’re “not that bad”. But if you do have a contamination issue with your water, over time it could make you or someone in your family sick. We can quickly resolve these issues with a water treatment and filtration so you can have peace of mind and enjoy your water again! Call us for a free quote!
We serve the towns of Joppa, Abingdon, Fallston, Belcamp, Forest Hill, Bel Air, Aberdeen, Baldwin, Hunt Valley, Kingsville, White Marsh, Towson, Fulton, Middle River, Perry Hall and more! Call us or request a quote online!
