4 pp., 2 tablesIf your drinking water comes from a private water well, there are certain procedures you can follow to make sure the water is safe. This publication explains how to get your water tested and, if treatment is necessary, to select the correct treatment equipment. Tables display common water problems and the equipment used to treat them

Dozier, Monty

McFarland, Mark L.

Texas A&amp;M Repository

Everyone needs high quality water for drink-ing and other domestic uses. If your watersupply is public, the water utility companymust test the water regularly to make sure it meetsstandards set by the Environmental ProtectionAgency. The two types of standards are PrimaryStandards (having to do with pollutants that affecthealth, including pathogens, radioactive elementsand toxic chemicals) and Secondary Standards (hav-ing to do with properties such as taste, color, corro-sivity, foaminess, and staining). The utility musttreat the water, if necessary, to maintain its quality. If your water supply comes from a private well, itis up to the well owner to test the water and makeany treatments necessary. There are several reasonswell water may be poor quality. Some water natu-rally contains elements or compounds for which itshould be treated. In some cases, there may be asource of pollution that is affecting the well.Finally, the water may be reacting with the plumb-ing system to produce undesirable substances.Follow the step-by-step procedure described belowto determine whether you have a water qualityproblem and find an appropriate solution.Step 1. Inspect Your WaterFirst you will need to inspect your water. Does ithave an unusual taste, color or odor? Does it con-tain sediment? Does it stain clothes, dishes, fixturesor sidewalks?  For example, water in some parts ofTexas contains a high level of dissolved iron thatcauses reddish brown stains on sinks, bathtubs andtoilets. Table 1 is a guide to common water prob-lems and their causes. If you notice any of theseproblems, your water should be tested to confirmthe cause.Step 2. Get ExpertInformationIf your water comes from a public source, contactthe water utility and request a copy of theMunicipal Drinking Water Contaminant AnalysisReport (commonly referred to as a consumer confi-dence report). The utility is required by law to sendthis report to its customers annually. Because publicwater utilities must test water regularly, your watermay not need to be tested unless someone in yourfamily becomes ill or the taste, odor or color ofyour water changes. If you do have problems, theutility should help get the water tested. If your water source is private, contact your countyExtension agent or county health department tofind out what contaminants are typical of wellwater in your locale. The health department cantest your water for bacterial contamination. Boththe Extension agent and the county health depart-ment can put you in touch with laboratories thattest the quality of drinking water.Solving Water Quality Problems in the HomeMonty C. Dozier, Assistant Professor and Extension Water Resources SpecialistMark L. McFarland, Associate Professor and Extension Soil Fertility SpecialistThe Texas A&M University SystemL-54502-04its effect on human health. Drinking water stan-dards and related information can be found on theEPA Web site at www.epa.gov.If you have questions about the lab report youreceive, contact the lab and ask for an explanation.Your county Extension agent or county health depart-ment also can help you interpret laboratory results.The do-it-yourself water testing kits available in homeproduct stores are not as accurate as laboratory analy-ses and usually do not detect low levels of contami-nants as readily. Also, they do not detect all kinds ofcontaminants. Organic pollutants, for example, mustbe analyzed in a laboratory with sophisticated equip-ment. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) also requires profes-sional laboratory analysis. This is the contaminantthat gives water a “rotten egg” smell. For more infor-mation on this substance, see L-5312, “HydrogenSulfide in Drinking Water,” available athttp://tcebookstore.org. Most home testing kits are notuseful for analyzing anything more than basic watercharacteristics such as hardness, pH, iron, chlorineand sulfur.Step 4. Choose TreatmentEquipmentIf you have taken time to find out all you can aboutyour water, you will be able to select the appropriatetreatment method. If your water has no objectionablephysical properties and contains no contaminantsabove acceptable limits, it does not need treatment.Table 2 lists most major water problems and thetreatment options you can use in your home. Whenyou select equipment, remember to consider not justthe initial cost but also the cost of maintaining theequipment (including back flushing, adding chemi-cals and replacing filters). Without proper mainte-nance your system will not operate effectively. One source of consumer information about watertreatment equipment is NSF International, an inde-pendent, nonprofit organization that develops equip-ment standards and evaluates products against thosestandards. NSF International certifies plumbingproducts, drinking water additives and drinkingwater treatment systems and devices. The organiza-tion is accredited by the American NationalStandards Institute. The circled NSF approval stampmeans that a product conforms to specified stan-dards. For a list of water treatment units certified byNSF International, write: NSF International3475 Plymouth RoadAnn Arbor, MI 48105 (317) 769-8010Step 3. Have Your WaterTestedContact the testing laboratory and ask for completeinstructions, and any necessary equipment, for takinga water sample. Read the instructions very carefullyand carry them out precisely. Proper sampling is themost important part of water testing. Use only thecontainers the lab sends or recommends. Note howmuch time the lab allows between the time the wateris collected and the time it is analyzed. Make sureyour samples arrive at the lab within the time limit. Some laboratories can test for all known contami-nants, but this is expensive and usually unnecessary.Private well water should be tested at least every 2years for coliform bacteria and nitrates. Also test forlead if the house is old and contains iron or copperpipes, fittings, plumbing fixtures or solder. Othercontaminants need to be measured only if there isreason to believe they are present at levels thatcause problems.The laboratory report should state whether there areany contaminants that do not meet Primary orSecondary Standards. Within the Primary Standards,each contaminant is assigned a Maxi-mumContaminant Level (MCL) based on its toxicity and2Table 1. Common problems.Possible contaminants or      Problems and symptoms confirmation testsStained fixtures and clothes:Red or brown IronBlack ManganeseGreen or blue CopperReddish-brown slime Iron bacteriaOff-color appearance:Cloudy TurbidityBlack Hydrogen sulfide, manganeseBrown or yellow Iron, tannic acidUnusual taste and odor:Rotten egg Hydrogen sulfideMetallic pH, corrosive index, iron,  zinc, copper, leadSeptic, musty, earthy Total coliform bacteria, methaneAlkali pH, total dissolved saltsGasoline or oil Hydrocarbon scanSoapy SurfactantsCorrosion of pipes or pH, lead, iron, manganese,plumbing copperSource: “Water Testing,” pubication AEX-314, Ohio CooperativeExtension Service.Table 2. Index of water problems and water treatment equipment.Filter equipment options Other equipment optionsActivated ChemicalProblem Activated alumina Reverse Cation Anion feed UVpollutant carbon Mechanical Oxidizing cartridge osmosis Distillation exchange exchange (chlorinator) lightAluminum X XArsenic X X XAsbestos X XBarium X X XCadmium X X XChloride X X XChlorinea X XChromium X XColiformbacteria X X XColor X X X XCopper X X XCorrosion X XEndrin XFluoride X X X XGiardiacysts X X XHardness X X XIron (Fe2+) X X X X XIron (Fe3+) X X XLeadb X X X XLindane XManganese X X X XMercury X XMethoxychlor XNitrate X X XParticulates X X XPesticides,herbicides,PCBs XRadium X X XRadon XSelenium X X XSilver X X XTannic acids X XTaste andodor X X X X XTDSc X XTTHMsd XToxaphene XTurbidity X X X X(continued)c3This publication was funded by the Rio Grande Basin Initiative administered by the Texas Water Resources Institute ofTexas Cooperative Extension, with funds provided through a grant from the Cooperative State Research, Education, andExtension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2001-45049-01149.Table 2. (continued)Filter equipment options Other equipment optionsActivated ChemicalProblem Activated alumina Reverse Cation Anion feed UVpollutant carbon Mechanical Oxidizing cartridge osmosis Distillation exchange exchange (chlorinator) lightVOCse XZinc X X X2,4-D X2,4,5-TDSilvex Xa Not all reverse osmosis units reduce chlorine effectively. Ask for proof of performance.b Not all activated carbon filters reduce lead effectively. Ask for proof of perfornamce.c TDS=Total Dissolved Solidsd TTHMs=Total Trihalomethanese VOCs=Volatile Organic CompoundsSource: NSF International, 1991.References“Water Testing,” Publication AEX-314, OhioCooperative Extension Service.“Determining the Quality of Your Drinking Water:A Step by Step Guide,” NSF International.“Groundwater: Household Water Treatment,”Montana Cooperative Extension Service.“Home Water Treatment Systems,” PublicationL-2280, Texas Cooperative Extension.“Home Water Treatment Equipment: An Overview,”Cooperative Extension, University of NebraskaInstitute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Solving Water Quality Problems in the Home

Texas A&M University

Everyone needs high quality water for drink-ing and other domestic uses. If your watersupply is public, the water utility company
must test the water regularly to make sure it meets
standards set by the Environmental Protection
Agency. The two types of standards are Primary
Standards (having to do with pollutants that affect
health, including pathogens, radioactive elements
and toxic chemicals) and Secondary Standards (hav-
ing to do with properties such as taste, color, corro-
sivity, foaminess, and staining). The utility must
treat the water, if necessary, to maintain its quality. 
If your water supply comes from a private well, it
is up to the well owner to test the water and make
any treatments necessary. There are several reasons
well water may be poor quality. Some water natu-
rally contains elements or compounds for which it
should be treated. In some cases, there may be a
source of pollution that is affecting the well.
Finally, the water may be reacting with the plumb-
ing system to produce undesirable substances.
Follow the step-by-step procedure described below
to determine whether you have a water quality
problem and find an appropriate solution.
Step 1. Inspect Your Water
First you will need to inspect your water. Does it
have an unusual taste, color or odor? Does it con-
tain sediment? Does it stain clothes, dishes, fixtures
or sidewalks?  For example, water in some parts of
Texas contains a high level of dissolved iron that
causes reddish brown stains on sinks, bathtubs and
toilets. Table 1 is a guide to common water prob-
lems and their causes. If you notice any of these
problems, your water should be tested to confirm
the cause.
Step 2. Get Expert
Information
If your water comes from a public source, contact
the water utility and request a copy of the
Municipal Drinking Water Contaminant Analysis
Report (commonly referred to as a consumer confi-
dence report). The utility is required by law to send
this report to its customers annually. Because public
water utilities must test water regularly, your water
may not need to be tested unless someone in your
family becomes ill or the taste, odor or color of
your water changes. If you do have problems, the
utility should help get the water tested. 
If your water source is private, contact your county
Extension agent or county health department to
find out what contaminants are typical of well
water in your locale. The health department can
test your water for bacterial contamination. Both
the Extension agent and the county health depart-
ment can put you in touch with laboratories that
test the quality of drinking water.
Solving Water 
Quality Problems 
in the Home
Monty C. Dozier, Assistant Professor and Extension Water Resources Specialist
Mark L. McFarland, Associate Professor and Extension Soil Fertility Specialist
The Texas A&M University System
L-5450
2-04
its effect on human health. Drinking water stan-
dards and related information can be found on the
EPA Web site at www.epa.gov.
If you have questions about the lab report you
receive, contact the lab and ask for an explanation.
Your county Extension agent or county health depart-
ment also can help you interpret laboratory results.
The do-it-yourself water testing kits available in home
product stores are not as accurate as laboratory analy-
ses and usually do not detect low levels of contami-
nants as readily. Also, they do not detect all kinds of
contaminants. Organic pollutants, for example, must
be analyzed in a laboratory with sophisticated equip-
ment. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) also requires profes-
sional laboratory analysis. This is the contaminant
that gives water a “rotten egg” smell. For more infor-
mation on this substance, see L-5312, “Hydrogen
Sulfide in Drinking Water,” available at
http://tcebookstore.org. Most home testing kits are not
useful for analyzing anything more than basic water
characteristics such as hardness, pH, iron, chlorine
and sulfur.
Step 4. Choose Treatment
Equipment
If you have taken time to find out all you can about
your water, you will be able to select the appropriate
treatment method. If your water has no objectionable
physical properties and contains no contaminants
above acceptable limits, it does not need treatment.
Table 2 lists most major water problems and the
treatment options you can use in your home. When
you select equipment, remember to consider not just
the initial cost but also the cost of maintaining the
equipment (including back flushing, adding chemi-
cals and replacing filters). Without proper mainte-
nance your system will not operate effectively. 
One source of consumer information about water
treatment equipment is NSF International, an inde-
pendent, nonprofit organization that develops equip-
ment standards and evaluates products against those
standards. NSF International certifies plumbing
products, drinking water additives and drinking
water treatment systems and devices. The organiza-
tion is accredited by the American National
Standards Institute. The circled NSF approval stamp
means that a product conforms to specified stan-
dards. For a list of water treatment units certified by
NSF International, write: 
NSF International
3475 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105 
(317) 769-8010
Step 3. Have Your Water
Tested
Contact the testing laboratory and ask for complete
instructions, and any necessary equipment, for taking
a water sample. Read the instructions very carefully
and carry them out precisely. Proper sampling is the
most important part of water testing. Use only the
containers the lab sends or recommends. Note how
much time the lab allows between the time the water
is collected and the time it is analyzed. Make sure
your samples arrive at the lab within the time limit. 
Some laboratories can test for all known contami-
nants, but this is expensive and usually unnecessary.
Private well water should be tested at least every 2
years for coliform bacteria and nitrates. Also test for
lead if the house is old and contains iron or copper
pipes, fittings, plumbing fixtures or solder. Other
contaminants need to be measured only if there is
reason to believe they are present at levels that
cause problems.
The laboratory report should state whether there are
any contaminants that do not meet Primary or
Secondary Standards. Within the Primary Standards,
each contaminant is assigned a Maxi-mum
Contaminant Level (MCL) based on its toxicity and
2
Table 1. Common problems.
Possible contaminants or      
Problems and symptoms confirmation tests
Stained fixtures and clothes:
Red or brown Iron
Black Manganese
Green or blue Copper
Reddish-brown slime Iron bacteria
Off-color appearance:
Cloudy Turbidity
Black Hydrogen sulfide, manganese
Brown or yellow Iron, tannic acid
Unusual taste and odor:
Rotten egg Hydrogen sulfide
Metallic pH, corrosive index, iron,  
zinc, copper, lead
Septic, musty, earthy Total coliform bacteria, 
methane
Alkali pH, total dissolved salts
Gasoline or oil Hydrocarbon scan
Soapy Surfactants
Corrosion of pipes or pH, lead, iron, manganese,
plumbing copper
Source: “Water Testing,” pubication AEX-314, Ohio Cooperative
Extension Service.
Table 2. Index of water problems and water treatment equipment.
Filter equipment options Other equipment options
Activated Chemical
Problem Activated alumina Reverse Cation Anion feed UV
pollutant carbon Mechanical Oxidizing cartridge osmosis Distillation exchange exchange (chlorinator) light
Aluminum X X
Arsenic X X X
Asbestos X X
Barium X X X
Cadmium X X X
Chloride X X X
Chlorinea X X
Chromium X X
Coliform
bacteria X X X
Color X X X X
Copper X X X
Corrosion X X
Endrin X
Fluoride X X X X
Giardia
cysts X X X
Hardness X X X
Iron (Fe2+) X X X X X
Iron (Fe3+) X X X
Leadb X X X X
Lindane X
Manganese X X X X
Mercury X X
Methoxychlor X
Nitrate X X X
Particulates X X X
Pesticides,
herbicides,
PCBs X
Radium X X X
Radon X
Selenium X X X
Silver X X X
Tannic acids X X
Taste and
odor X X X X X
TDSc X X
TTHMsd X
Toxaphene X
Turbidity X X X X
(continued)c
3
This publication was funded by the Rio Grande Basin Initiative administered by the Texas Water Resources Institute of
Texas Cooperative Extension, with funds provided through a grant from the Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2001-45049-01149.
Table 2. (continued)
Filter equipment options Other equipment options
Activated Chemical
Problem Activated alumina Reverse Cation Anion feed UV
pollutant carbon Mechanical Oxidizing cartridge osmosis Distillation exchange exchange (chlorinator) light
VOCse X
Zinc X X X
2,4-D X
2,4,5-TD
Silvex X
a Not all reverse osmosis units reduce chlorine effectively. Ask for proof of performance.
b Not all activated carbon filters reduce lead effectively. Ask for proof of perfornamce.
c TDS=Total Dissolved Solids
d TTHMs=Total Trihalomethanes
e VOCs=Volatile Organic Compounds
Source: NSF International, 1991.
References
“Water Testing,” Publication AEX-314, Ohio
Cooperative Extension Service.
“Determining the Quality of Your Drinking Water:
A Step by Step Guide,” NSF International.
“Groundwater: Household Water Treatment,”
Montana Cooperative Extension Service.
“Home Water Treatment Systems,” Publication
L-2280, Texas Cooperative Extension.
“Home Water Treatment Equipment: An Overview,”
Cooperative Extension, University of Nebraska
Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.


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