Well water...who has it ? (Johnson City, Gray: real estate, house, buying)

[TNGal78]

A property I am looking at has well water. I talked to the neighbors and they said it is NOT sulfur water but it does have a lot of limestone in the area and it can have a mineral taste to it.

One neighbor said he drinks it all the time.

Other neighbor said no, he does not drink it, but he uses it to do his laundry, shower/bathe,everything else. He said he uses Culligan for drinking and cooking. He said he knows other people who drink it that live on the same road.

The neighbors said you never have to worry about running out of water they said it is a water shed district and one neighbor has been there 12 years and never ran out and the other one has been there 30 years and never ran out.

The house I am looking into buying does have a whole house water filter system with some sort of light (UV?) that is supposed to improve the water. (I know nothing about this other than it looks like 2 big tanks in one of the closets).


I have never had well water. Is this a deal breaker--in your opinion? Where do you get the water tested and about how expensive is it to get it tested ???

[TN.RidgerunninGal]

I know several families in the Boones Creek - Gray area who have well water. It should not be a deal breaker. We used to have well water until the city of Johnson City brought new water and sewer lines our way. Call the Health Dept. about having the water tested. I do think you have to add something to the water but not sure what it is.
Hope this helps.

[TNGal78]

Did you drink it ? I don't know why it scares me. My husband's parents grew up with a well.

[TN.RidgerunninGal]

Yes, we drank the water. I have friends who have wells and they drink it. I do not know the cost to have water tested. The county health dept - environmental services could help you, If you have a real estate agent, they should be able to help you.

[BadJuju]

Originally Posted by TNGal78

Did you drink it ? I don't know why it scares me. My husband's parents grew up with a well.

Because your husband's parents probably grew up in an area and time in which it was far less likely to encounter pollutants. The water should definitely be extensively tested for bad chemicals, heavy metals, etc. You don't want any of that.

[TNGal78]

This well was dug 4 yrs ago and I know they have to test and get a health department evaluation ,etc. I am hoping it will be ok. At least for washing / bathing. I don't know that I would drink it, regardless. I usually buy bottled water even where I live now because the city water just tastes like a swimming pool.

If we do decide to buy I am going to have it tested before hand.

Thanks for everyone's input.

[Starman71]

Usually water in this area is high in calcium due to the overwhelming amount of limestone. This can - over time - lead to kidney stones if the water isn't treated/filtered. There do exist methods for your pump to reduce the calcium in the water. You might want to look in to this and the annual cost vs buying drinking water.

[llovin]

I've drank well water all my life. Never had it tested either. Our mountain house has spring water and I drink it as well. It's the best water ever!

[jabogitlu]

My parents drink spring water from some mountain land that they own in Southern Greene Co. They live downriver of the Nuclear Fuel Services plant, so drinking the tap water is a no go.

All my grandparents have drank well water all their lives. I agree have it tested if you need to for peace of mind, but well water should come with drastically reduced levels of fluoride and probably healthier levels of little microorganisms that will keep your gut healthy.

[elrodcod]

I live in Hawkins County & have a well that was drilled in February (225 ft. deep). The water is crystal clear with a very slight mineral taste. I didn't have it tested & drink it every day.