Questions about expanded well water supply test (house, buying)

[maureenb]

I'm looking at a property to purchase and just received the results of an expanded well water supply test. I have questions about how to interpret a few of the results, specifically relating to turbidity, iron, and manganese.

I am aware that high iron is often a given in Maine. I'm interested in hearing from those who have high iron in their well water supply, and what type of filtration system you are using. Elevated manganese level, same thing.

The elevated turbidity isn't too much of a concern to me. The household water system had been shut down for the winter. The state lab told me to connect the expansion tank, allow it to fill, then hook up to a hose and let it run for twenty minutes before taking a sample. State lab said it was fine to pull the sample from the hose, so long as the hose was in reasonable condition. Hard to say. The seller's plumber insisted on taking the sample directly from the drain off the expansion tank. He was really grouchy, and I wasn't going to interfere.

So, anyone up for having a conversation by PM or here, if it might be educational for others, I'd be grateful.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

High iron and manganese are common in many areas in Maine. An in-line water filter is an inexpensive investment. We change our filter element every year. Keep your special filter wrench on a nail near the filter so you don't have to buy a new filter just for the wrench.

The reason the homeowner didn't want you to take your sample at the kitchen sink is because "somebody" might have used lead based solder in the copper pipes and you could have a high lead test which would need to be addressed. If the manganese level is high enough you'll taste it.

The remedy for removing dissolved metals is a reverse osmosis water filter. The average person can install it himself. They cost from $250 up to $1,500. The low cost unit is for drinking water only. The high cost model is a whole house filter.

[maureenb]

Thanks, NMLM.

The owner was not involved. It was decided to go off of the expansion tank to avoid charging the house system, only to have to blow it out again when we shut the water supply off for the remainder of the winter. The house is newer and is plumbed with pex, though there is solder here and there.

I'm looking at filtration systems, reading reviews...

[sugatam]

I'm in the same boat. My well water is high in Iron and Manganese. Maureenb, may I ask what you ended up buying?

[Maineac]

An engineer friend in an area school district chastised me for having a filter on my home water system. He said I didn't need it. The question is typically coliform bacteria and you deal with that by treatment. His point was that if you don't change that $25.00 filter VERY regularly, it just goops up and the larger problem is lurking in your filter. Test the water, treat the well (he says) if needed and skip the filter unless you have something coming from the well that you do not want to ingest. I replaced the filter element and will just keep doing so, BUT, in certain rain periods - maybe its the casing - we'll get an onion smell in the water. It's from iron-loving bacteria, and you can see the stain in the filter. They won't hurt you, but the filter builds them up enough by catching them that the smell comes out and is noticeable in the shower. This is one of those things you have to decide for yourself, like dipping a drink out of the spring out back. Ain't hurt me yet.