Well Water Making Me Sick

[Austin Guy]

My house uses water from a well. It is high in sulfates, iron, calcium, magnesium and various other components of hard water. Drinking the water has always caused bloating, gas and diarrhea. Filtering the water helps a lot and drinking distilled water is wonderful. Any idea as to what in the water is causing my problems and might a water softening system help? I don't want to invest the money if it won't remove whatever is causing my problems.

[shadowicewolf]

Yes, a water softener system will help. We had one for years and it really helped, just gotta remember to clean it every so often.

[Jenniferxgfx]

I grew up with well water and it really worsened my reflux. A water softener should help a lot.

[shadowicewolf]

Also, some water softeners require salt to be added to them (you can get that at walmart). I know ours did, and we 'refilled' it every few weeks.

[Takala]

You should have your well water professionally tested to see if it has pathogens in it such as bacteria, or bad chemicals such as run off from farming or manufacturing, such as nitrates. In my state there can be chemicals such as perchlorate left over from the Cold War era missile testing, and mercury from the Gold Rush era gold mining extraction, besides chemicals called pcbs used in electrical transformers, in sediments carried by running water or ground water that gets contaminated. Now, in certain gas drilling venues, people also have to worry about toxic "fracking" chemicals which are used to crack open underground deposits and release the gas - these chemicals can pollute groundwater, as well.

Just putting a water softener on it isn't going to help it. It adds salt and takes away calcium and magnesium.

sulfate in well water

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[Korwyn]

In some states you can get your water tested for free through your local health department.

[Lori2]

Softened water is not good for drinking. Our house (which we purchased two years ago) has a separate faucet for drinking--cold, unsoftened.

[BethJ]

We have a well with a water softener but also have a reverse osmosis system under the kitchen sink for drinking and cooking. It can make about 25 gallons a day which is more than sufficient. It also has a line to the ice maker so we always have clean ice. It was more than worth the cost of the initial installation.

[Roda]

My parents have spring water mostly but do have a well also. They had their water tested and it was high in bacteria (they have a farm and also live surrounded by national forest). They have a filter on it to get out sediment and some kind of uv thing to kill the bacteria. Their water isn't hard though so no water softner.

[Austin Guy]

Lots of good thoughts in here. The bacteria thing might be good to check out.

[viviendoparajesus]

can there be gluten in water? i mean if there are all those other things and you hear about there being drugs in water because people flush them. i have hear filtered water is not enough and several sources recommended distilled or reverse osmosis. but then i have seen some sources say just drink tap water though that seems weird to me given all these things in the water.

[BlueTaelon]

Did you ever find the cause? I'm having the same problem and even boiling doesn't help. Its getting expensive to drive half an hour just to buy water (we live the sticks)

[1desperateladysaved]

Make sure the cap is tight and clean on the top of your well.  We had bacteria in once when the cap was cock-eyed. 

[Adalaide]

I have to agree that having it tested is a good idea. There is no way to really know what it is that is making you sick unless you have it tested.

 

I would also advocate a reverse osmosis water filter. I grew up in the country drinking spring water. I now live in the city and won't touch a drop of city water. The though of drinking chlorinated water makes me sick, the smell of it makes me sick. I don't want my water soft, I want it with the crap out of it. I only drink spring water or reverse osmosis filtered water. Soft water is good for not feeling like you are covered in grit when you get out of the shower. As a teen in living in town I never liked the taste of it and can't say I advocate spending a lot of money on one. Especially when an osmosis filter is so much simpler.