Drinking well water?

[rlitman]

Call me a commie, but I've always blamed the rotten state of my dental health on the fact I drank unfluoridized well water in my formative years.

My (small) local water system doesn't fluoridate the water, and in our case my children take vitamins with fluoride, and I have prescription toothpaste I use every few days.

But here's the thing. My local water source is rain from several hundred years ago filtered through sand, so the fluoride content is naturally near zero. Water sources that come from mountain runoff often have natural fluoride levels approaching and even exceeding the danger zone. In fact, the way that fluoridation was originally confirmed to work, was a natural experiment that compared the dental health of people living in places where the water naturally had high fluoride content against regions like mine. So, does your well water even need fluoridation?

 

[reader2580]

I have well water that is safe to drink, but it doesn't taste very good. I have a Kinetico RO system for my refrigerator and a separate RO faucet at my kitchen sink.

Some well water tastes great and comes out of the ground cool and ready to drink. One Boy Scout camp I have been to has a hand pumped well like that. Another Boy Scout camp has well water that has a nasty iron taste. We mix the water with Gatorade powder so the boys will drink it. The dining hall has an iron filter and the water tastes just fine.

 

[Showkey]

an "82" gallon precharge tank only holds 9 working gallons at a 40/60 switch setting. I don't think i'd lose too much sleep on this.

https://www.zoellerpumps.com/content/literature/fm2491.pdf

That would depend on the tank type plain galvanized water tank vs bladderpressure tank.

My guess is the OP has a plain 82 gallon water tank no diaphragm /bladder ??????

 

[nadogail]

Humans and animals have been drinking well water since the dawn of recorded history. Get your water tested and your questions will be answered.

 

[FMB4]

The CDC recommends that you have your well water tested at least once a yr.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

No diaphram in my tank. Air volume control valve. Looking at the condensation of the tank the water pretty much goes up to the last 6" or so. I'm assuming that is compressed air which gives me my water pressure.

 

[mikedodge]

Let's see a picture of the tank. Sounds like it does have a diaphram and you're seeing the air side vs water side.
What does the air valve look like? It would need a continuous source of clean compressed air if that's what's pressurizing it with no diaphragm.

As for drinking it if you're living there and using water regularly the water in the tank is constantly being replenished so if a test comes back clean its drinkable. If you're worried buy bottled water.

 

[jar944]

The CDC recommends that you have your well water tested at least once a yr.

Does anyone actually do that? The only time I've ever seen / heard of a well being tested was during the sale of the house.

 

[FMB4]

Does anyone actually do that?

Probably not, except during a sale as you mention. I'm just stating the CDC recommendations. Note: I'm not a fan of the CDC.

 

[u3b3rg33k]

No diaphram in my tank. Air volume control valve. Looking at the condensation of the tank the water pretty much goes up to the last 6" or so. I'm assuming that is compressed air which gives me my water pressure.

one of the old school style ones. every time the pump cycles there's a valve that lets a little air in, otherwise they run out and stop working.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

So it pretty much holds 70 gallons or so.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

Works good.

 

[u3b3rg33k]

So it pretty much holds 70 gallons or so.

most of that is air, hence the precharge "82 gallon" not even taking up 82 gallons worth of volume in your house. but yeah they work fine, just a pain to haul down a flight of stairs.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

You can feel where the water is by placing your hand on the tank.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

There's atleast 75 gallons of water in the tank.

 

[Showkey]

Does anyone actually do that? The only time I've ever seen / heard of a well being tested was during the sale of the house.

Probably not, except during a sale as you mention. I'm just stating the CDC recommendations. Note: I'm not a fan of the CDC.

If you once find a problem like nitrates or E-coli you might feel different about the recommendations and actual regular testing.

Change CDC to the county health department.

 

[FMB4]

Well (har-har) at least beer is safe to drink, as long as you don't drive, ride, or doing anything more than sit on bar stool (or make a trip the BR).

 

[Showkey]

Consuming too much nitrate can affect how blood carries oxygen and can cause methemoglobinemia (also known as blue baby syndrome). ... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard for nitrate in drinking water is 10 milligrams of nitrate (measured as nitrogen) per liter of drinking water (mg/L).

Symptoms of blue baby syndrome include:

• blue skin (cyanosis)
• weakness
• headaches
• trouble breathing
• losing consciousness (coma)

Can anyone get methemoglobinia?​

Babies younger than 3 months have the highest risk, but other people can get methemoglobinia. You might be at risk if you:

• are pregnant
• have a peptic ulcer
• have chronic gastritis
• are on dialysis
• have certain genetic problems

Where is nitrate/nitrite found?​

The most common sources of nitrate/nitrite include:

• human sewage from septic systems not working right
• livestock manure
• fertilizer
• natural minerals found in the aquifer

 

[csp]

No diaphram in my tank. Air volume control valve. Looking at the condensation of the tank the water pretty much goes up to the last 6" or so. I'm assuming that is compressed air which gives me my water pressure.

I'm curious, where do you assume that compressed air becomes compressed.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

The tank fills from the bottom up. It was water logged when I bought the place and we had to drain it all out and refill it.

 

[Showkey]

Buy a diaphragm tank……..the System will work better and last longer.

 

[Hobby_Man22]

Buy a diaphragm tank……..the System will work better and last longer.

It works fine

 

[u3b3rg33k]

Buy a diaphragm tank……..the System will work better and last longer.

until it fails and fills with water and then you have nothing. downsides to both systems.

 

[larry_g]

It works fine

It does not... I can guarantee that your pump is cycling way to often.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Firebrick43]

Call me a commie, but I've always blamed the rotten state of my dental health on the fact I drank unfluoridized well water in my formative years.

Well Comrade Boris, you know fluoride is an industrial hazardous material right. Sell your waste(that you would otherwise spend $$$$ to get rid of) to the tooth paste and water supply companies and they pay you to put it in their products.

I lived on well water for all but 2 years of my life and teeth are great. You get enough in your toothpaste.

 

[KEH]

Cure for waterlogged tank: There should be an air valve like a tire air valve somewhere in the tank plumbing system, maybe even on the side of the tank. Get a portable air tank with a good charge of air in it. Turn off power to the pump. Open a faucet, add air from the portable tank until a few gallons of water are expelled from the water tank. Remove air hose from water tank, close faucet, turn power back on. Pump should cycle back on and cut off. There is now an empty air space it the tank which can compress to add pressure to the system. Yes, I have done this in the past and no I'm not a plumber. As mentioned above, there is no cure for tank with rubber bladder with waterlogged symptoms except a new tank.

KEH

 

[u3b3rg33k]

Well Comrade Boris, you know fluorine is an industrial hazardous material right. Sell your waste(that you would otherwise spend $$$$ to get rid of) to the tooth paste and water supply companies and they pay you to put it in their products.

I lived on well water for all but 2 years of my life and teeth are great. You get enough in your toothpaste.

"Fluorine" is not "(Sodium) Fluoride". plenty of things necessary for life can also kill you in excess quantity. H2O, NaCl, KCl, O2, CO2, sunlight, and on and on.

 

[kelpaso1]

"Fluorine" is not "(Sodium) Fluoride". plenty of things necessary for life can also kill you in excess quantity. H2O, NaCl, KCl, O2, CO2, sunlight, and on and on.

Right, the two are miles apart in chemical composition.

 

[Showkey]

Right, the two are miles apart in chemical composition.

But……..they both begin with F

 

[FMB4]

Thumb of Michigan large ag presence surrounding. Mainly crops but some beef production. With the chemicals used throughout the area we choose to get the water bottles. Yes, it’s well water that’s filtered, sanitized, and corrected if needed. The well at this farm is shallow and the water does everything but get drank. Bottled water is too cheap to worry about the well having potential intermittent issues. 20 years experience.

Yep, bottled water is cheap. But unfortunately in our area bot water is difficult to fine (store racks almost always empty when 2 years ago they were stocked full.

 

[Rc_Guy]

Yep, bottled water is cheap. But unfortunately in our area bot water is difficult to fine (store racks almost always empty when 2 years ago they were stocked full.

Don’t know where you live but all kinds of bottled water here in Minnesota

 

[jar944]

I only ever drank bottled water for the brief period of time I owned a house that had city water. I just cant stand the taste of chlorinated / treated water.

 

[BruceMc]

what do you think we drink that don't live in a city?

A lot of city people drink well water, too. Granted, from a much bigger well, but a well nonetheless. They just don't know it.

 

[Firebrick43]

Well Comrade Boris, you know fluoride is an industrial hazardous material right. Sell your waste(that you would otherwise spend $$$$ to get rid of) to the tooth paste and water supply companies and they pay you to put it in their products.

I lived on well water for all but 2 years of my life and teeth are great. You get enough in your toothpaste.

"Fluorine" is not "(Sodium) Fluoride". plenty of things necessary for life can also kill you in excess quantity. H2O, NaCl, KCl, O2, CO2, sunlight, and on and on.

Yes, sorry, its fluoride not fluorine. My bad. Sodium Fluoride is still an industrial waste. Never said it would kill you? Who knows if it or other chemicals in our life, has caused increase in cancers.

Fluoride in the water is not necessary if you brush your teeth the proper time with fluoride toothpaste and or mouthwash. And with the tooth paste or mouth wash they are not ingested, at least I hope not.

 

[Rc_Guy]

A lot of city people drink well water, too. Granted, from a much bigger well, but a well nonetheless. They just don't know it.

Yes, I know that.

A lot of people drink the same water that comes out of a fire hydrant also but they don’t realize that

 

[billconner]

Yes, I know that.

A lot of people drink the same water that comes out of a fire hydrant also but they don’t realize that

Especially since after annual hydrant flushing the tap water is cloudly. ó

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

While getting my Environmental Engineering degree we had a course in Hazardous materials.

We had one book for required reading titled "The Dose Makes the Poison"
In summary: Anything in the right amount will kill you.

Everything in some concentration or quantity is lethal.

Rural well water here, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Only test required for a new well is a coliform for the use permit.
Before our new well a few years ago I willing used a 40' deep dug well from before county records.

 

[walta]

I didn't do it every year. We had deep wells (500') - typical problems were coliform and very hard water and I assumed the other possible contaminants were pretty static as we were rural. We'd "shock" the well every couple of months (chlorine). We treated it so it was "safe" via UV exposure which would kill any residual coliform. This particular well water was so hard that we used commercial softeners, but drinking it - we basically did reverse osmosis, which is the only way to get the dissolved solids out of it.

Most of the wells in my area are like this, so when I built a shop, I used the roof for water collection. As it turns out for us, rain water was much easier to deal with.

Maybe wells are different in TX but around here if you have coliform bacteria in a well it is because a septic field is connected to your well and if you are on a 3+ acre lot it is almost certainty your own poo you are drinking.

 

[PWC Repair]

Call me a commie, but I've always blamed the rotten state of my dental health on the fact I drank unfluoridized well water in my formative years.

Negative....probably more likely a vitamin definciency. I have been drinking nothing but unfiltered well water for 38 years and add Mtn Dew to that for about 30 years. My teeth are just fine.

 

[Firebrick43]

Maybe wells are different in TX but around here if you have coliform bacteria in a well it is because a septic field is connected to your well and if you are on a 3 acre lot it is almost certainty your own poo you are drinking.

Depends on the soil structures. Sand or gravel based soils with traditional fingers systems can perk to fast and yes, you will be drinking your own poo. They use either a mound system, sand filter, or aerobic pretreatment in high perk soils.