Your health and that of members of your immediate and extended family depend to a large extent upon the quality of your drinking water. The concerns that arise about untreated well water stem from the many factors that can lead to its contamination. As a standing water source that is not exposed to direct sunlight, there are some dangers of using untreated well water for household use that you should be aware of.

Odours

If you notice an odour emanating from your well, this can be a sign of an underlying water contamination problem. Sulfur bacteria in the well water produce a gas that has a spoiled egg smell from the decaying process of organic matter in or near the well water.

While the smell from sulfur bacteria does not affect the well water sanitation itself, you cannot assume that any smell is conclusively from sulfur bacteria. Other causes of well water odours can be from soil pollution, gas or oil storage tank leakage or sewage contamination.

Discolouration and taste Untreated well water can lead to water discolouration, which can indicate a number of problems. Iron and manganese will not only change the colour of the water but they also give the water a bitter taste.

Metal contamination

Metal contamination leads to pipe corrosion which increases the amount of dissolved lead and iron in the water.

Microorganism contamination

Untreated well water becomes a breeding ground for microorganisms that cause gastrointestinal diseases. Another major concern associated with untreated well water is arsenic contamination.