Drinking contaminated well water commonly causes gastrointestinal distress (diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps), persistent fatigue, headaches, and skin rashes. Physical warning signs include water that smells like rotten eggs, tastes metallic, or looks cloudy/discolored, as well as unexplained staining on your plumbing fixtures and sinks.
Test your well water at least once every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH level. Contact your health department to find out what other germs or chemicals to test for based on where you live. Use a state-certified laboratory to test your water.
A properly constructed and maintained residential water well typically lasts 30 to 50 years. While the deep well casing and bore can serve your home for decades, the mechanical components—such as the pump and pressure tank—must be replaced several times throughout that lifespan.
Hyponatremia occurs when you drink more water than your kidneys can excrete, diluting the sodium in your blood. For most healthy adults, drinking 33𝟑 to 44𝟒 liters of water within a few hours (surpassing 111 liter per hour) causes water intoxication.
coli strains have acquired specific virulence factors that confer an increased capacity to cause a spectrum of intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. Escherichia coli has the potential to cause three broad categories of infection: enteric infections, UTIs, and sepsis/meningitis.
Water containing coliform bacteria can be used for showering and washing clothes as long as it is not swallowed. After showering with the water, wash your hands with soap and clean water. If children bathe in this water, it is recommended to use a sponge bath so that children do not incidentally ingest the water.
Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, nausea, headaches, fever, fatigue, and even death sometimes. Infants, children, elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get sick or die from disease-causing microorganisms in drinking water.
The 10-gulp rule is a hydration habit designed to help you easily meet your daily water intake goals. The rule is simple: Every time your water bottle or glass touches your lips, take exactly 10 large gulps before putting it down.
Hyponatremia signs and symptoms may include: Nausea and vomiting. Headache. Confusion.
Drinking too much water can lead to overhydration and a dangerous drop in blood sodium levels, known as hyponatremia. This causes water to push into your cells, including brain cells, causing them to swell.
A 2-gallon-per-minute (GPM) well is considered low-yield. While it falls short of the recommended 5 to 10 GPM for standard households, it can still fully support a home if you manage water usage carefully or install a supplemental storage (cistern) system.
Most pumps last 8 to 15 years, but with clean well water, balanced flow rate, and good maintenance, some may last up to 20 years. Poor water quality or frequent cycling can shorten that span. Replacing worn parts early and doing regular inspections can help extend the pump's life.
Dug wells and well points may go dry, but very few drilled wells ever actually go dry. If drilled wells stop delivering water, most often the pump intake was not set deep enough to allow for a potential decline in water levels — either seasonal variations or due to drought.
Common Well Water Contaminants
Basic home test kits, available online and at hardware stores, are an affordable and easy way to check for common water issues like bacteria, nitrates, pH, hardness and iron. However, they don't detect contaminants like PFAS, heavy metals or VOCs.
Bacteria in well water primarily cause gastrointestinal illness. Common symptoms include diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting. You may also experience a low-grade fever, persistent headaches, and fatigue. These symptoms typically appear within three days of consumption and disproportionately affect young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
Sodium levels generally take several days to a week to return to normal. The exact timeline depends heavily on the cause and whether the imbalance is mild or severe.
Yes, drinking too much water can indeed cause low blood sodium, a condition known as hyponatremia.
Low sodium (hyponatremia) can make you feel extremely fatigued, dizzy, and nauseous. Because sodium balances the fluids in your cells, a drop in levels causes fluid to move into the brain, resulting in headaches, confusion, muscle weakness, or painful cramps.
The healthiest water is free of contaminants while offering essential naturally occurring minerals. For most people, filtered tap water is the best daily choice for safety, cost, and the environment. If you buy bottled, choose natural spring water over purified varieties.
The five primary signs of dehydration include dark-colored urine, extreme thirst, dry mouth or lips, fatigue, and dizziness or lightheadedness.
You should aim for about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of total fluids daily for women, and 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) for men. Keep in mind that this includes water from all sources—about 20% comes from food, and the rest comes from beverages like tea, coffee, and plain water.
Yes, well water can make you sick. Unlike public tap water, well water lacks centralized treatment and regular safety monitoring. Contaminants from animal waste, fertilizers, and natural minerals can seep into the groundwater, posing serious health risks.
Symptoms of arsenic poisoning from well water depend on whether the exposure is acute (high levels over a short period) or chronic (lower levels over many years). Because arsenic is odorless and tasteless, regular well water testing is the only way to detect its presence.
Signs your water is making you sick include gastrointestinal distress (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps), persistent headaches, unexplained fatigue, and fever. These point to bacteria (like E. coli) or chemical contaminants. Skin rashes, a metallic taste, or a rotten egg smell can also indicate unsafe water.