Well versus Public water, I like to get your opinion. (Clearwater: rental, house)

[bentlebee]

I would like to know from people who have a well what they feel are the pros and cons and why?

I always had public water for all my properties and would like to know the experiences from others.

In some cases we have listings with homes with a well but usually it is not a subject that is discussed a lot since often there is way more to discuss.

Thanks in advance

[engineman]

During a power failure your pump stops running, no water.

[bannedontherun]

About the only pro I can think of is no water bill and to me that's a real pro. The con is more maintenance and service of treatment systems (filters,parts,pumps,pressure switches,etc). I don't even treat my water anymore but i won't drink it or cook with it. It may seem like a pain but I carry 5 or 6 gallon jugs and get water every other day at the machines in front of the grocery stores for 25 or 30 cents. Ever since I bought a brand new pump and pressure tank (pressure is another con as it's not as strong as anywhere I had city water), I've had no problems with losing water due to power outage or circuit breakage. It'll hold prime for a little while but an extended power outage of several hours, no water.

Another consideration is any hook up fee imposed in the future if the city/county decides to route water/sewer through the neighborhood. I know back around 1980 they charged my Grandpa $3000 to hook up in Clearwater and it's not an option. I don't know what it costs nowadays but I heard Crystal River was going to put in city/water in the Kings Bay Area to the tune of about 15k per dwelling and the residents vigorously opposed it. All said, I may not have a bill but there is some expense buying water and system items so it's like six of one and a half dozen of the other.

[LKJ1988]

If ya like rusty iron water then have at it.

[HWTechGuy]

I had a well at our old house up north. Never again.

[sunigal99]

A friend of mine has a well in a rural area of Hillsborough county . What a nightmare. She's always having problems with her pump and clogged filters. Her hair has an orange blotch due to rust. I would never consider a house with a well and/or septic system.

[housingcrashsurvivor]

My last home in south Florida had city potable & well irrigation. So my water bill though it included sewer (water leaving the house) was minimal compared to my neighbor without a well who was paying nearly $400/month. I think I was paying around $80 but I don't recall precisely. The well there had a high sulfur content so it smelled when the sprinklers first came on but then settled down. It did leave some staining. Years before I owned, I tried living in a rental house with only well water as potable. Also high in sulfides. I lasted just a few months before moving out. Even taking a shower was gross.

My current place has also city potable and well for irrigation. Had this house been on well, I'd have left it like that. The water is perfectly fine, clean, clear, no smell and plentiful. My neighbors use their well for potable without any water softening and I think with only minimal filtering. Perfectly good water not requiring treatment.

I've also septic instead of city sewer so my water bill is practically negligible.

[Tim Tim Tim]

Both have their pro's/cons. No water bill is nice and not having fluoride put in your water is nice as well. My preference would be irrigation and stuff would be well and in the home would be city.

[The Villages Guy]

Originally Posted by Tim Tim Tim

My preference would be irrigation and stuff would be well and in the home would be city.

This would be my preference as well, but our neighbor just had a well put in and they had to drill for a week to a depth of over 300 feet. Way to expensive, considering this is not our R.I.P. home.

[TheMartianChick]

Having been raised in a home that had a really good well with great tasting water, it was a huge shock to move to a city and have to pay for lousy tasting-chlorine infused water. To this day, the water still smells like a swimming pool and I'd rather not ingest the bleach-y stuff.

My husband and I have rental properties and they are all on city water. I hate the fact that a dripping faucet can translate into thousands of dollars in wasted water if the tenant fails to report it to us. I hate the issues with faulty water meters that arise and the arguments with city officials about them.

I'd love to be on a good well again...