Health Considerations Regarding Well Pump Repairs

It’s not too unusual to encounter folk who have never had any concerns over the safety of their existing well water supply until such time as they need to consider well pump repairs to their existing plumbing. At that time, while looking at options and costs with their local plumber, they might start to see references to various local treatment codes and well inspections etc. That can sometimes start to generate worry.

Let’s look briefly at the issue: but remember this is a very general overview and it’s NOT qualified medical advice. If you have cause for concern over the quality of your water, you must, of course, seek professional guidance as to whether you need well pump repairs or something else.

The problem

Mains water is treated extensively to make sure that it is fit for human consumption before it reaches your faucet. It took western society millennia and millions of deaths from water-borne diseases to re-learn what our distant ancestors already knew – that clean water is important for health. Of course, there are natural sources of water that can be consumed directly. That includes things like water from streams, rivers, rainwater and wells etc. Unfortunately, ‘natural’ doesn’t always mean the same thing as ‘pure’. Well water might come from underground but it can become contaminated in several different ways:

• Various forms of chemicals can seep into it. They might be naturally occurring or arise as a result of human activities such as farming and industry. Remember, human activities a long way away might have an effect on your water through what’s called ground water contamination.
• Minerals can also be a problem – metals and other pollutants can affect your water quality and have cumulative medical effects.
• Biological contamination – this typically involves bacteria, viruses, parasites and harmful algae. That can arise easily – particularly if the local groundwater becomes contaminated by human or animal waste products from old broken septic tanks or waste disposal pipes etc.

Some of the above problems might lead to serious illness or even death – so it pays to take the subject seriously. The solution

There’s no need to start losing sleep at night though! The solution to reducing these risks is usually relatively simple:

• Make sure your water is regularly tested – that might be a local regulation requirement anyway, but even if it’s not, get it done for your own protection.
• Talk to your plumber about in-system protection and treatment systems while discussing well pump repairs. At its simplest level this might be filtration alone – though keep in mind that basic filtration on its own might not deal with all risks.
• Keep your extraction and delivery systems clean and up-to-date.
• Subject to the advice you receive, be prepared to spend a few dollars to put some additional treatment in place.

Of course you should also be aware that on a day-to-day basis, unlike with a water supply company, nobody other than you is watching your water. So, keep an eye open for discoloration, odd smells or strange tastes. If you see them, don’t assume you just need some well pump repairs but get professional investigation underway – fast.

Sarah Saadoun works for HMS Plumbing, a family-owned business in Manassas, Northern Virginia. If you need well pump repairs, Herve and his dedicated employees at HMS are proud to be serving the plumbing needs of Northern Virginia residents and businesses. For reliable Fairfax plumbers HMS Plumbing is your first choice.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.