A large share of the homes we serve outside the city systems in Anderson, Pickens and Oconee counties draw their water from private wells. Well water in the Upstate is generally plentiful, but it comes out of granite and red-clay ground, and that geology leaves a signature in the water. If you have never had your well tested, or it has been more than a couple of years, here is what we look for and why it matters.
Iron
Iron is the most common complaint we hear in the Upstate. You will see it before you taste it: orange-brown staining in toilets, tubs and around fixtures, and laundry that never quite comes out white. Iron is not a health hazard at the levels wells here typically produce, but it is hard on fixtures, water heaters and appliances, and the staining is relentless. An iron eliminator system removes it at the point the water enters the house.
Hydrogen Sulfide (the Rotten-Egg Smell)
If your water smells like rotten eggs, especially on the hot side or after the house has sat empty, you are dealing with hydrogen sulfide. It is produced by harmless bacteria reacting with sulfur in the ground, but it makes water unpleasant to drink and shower in, and it corrodes plumbing over time. Air-injection sulfur filters strip the gas out of the water before it reaches your fixtures.
Hardness
Hard water is dissolved calcium and magnesium. It scales up water heater elements, clogs aerators, spots glassware and dries out skin. Hardness is the quiet one – it does its damage slowly, inside equipment you cannot see into, and it is the reason so many Upstate water heaters die years ahead of schedule. A properly sized water softener stops the scale at the door.
Bacteria and pH
Coliform bacteria testing is the one test every well owner should run on a schedule, because contamination can arrive after heavy rain, nearby construction or a compromised well cap – and you cannot see, smell or taste it. Low pH (acidic water) is also common in our region and slowly eats copper plumbing from the inside, showing up as pinhole leaks and blue-green staining.
Testing Is the Cheap Part
We test your water before we recommend anything, because the right equipment depends entirely on what is actually in it. A softener will not fix sulfur odor. An iron filter will not fix bacteria. The test tells us, and you, exactly what the well is producing, and then we can talk about what – if anything – it makes sense to install. Our ENVY water treatment line covers iron, sulfur, hardness and more, and we service every brand, make and model.
If you are on a well anywhere around Anderson, Pendleton, Seneca, Fair Play or Pickens, call (864) 214-3250 and we will get your water tested and explained in plain English.
