Well water and specialty treatment
Well water treatment for Treasure Valley homes and ranches
Nobody tests a private well unless the owner does. We set up a certified lab test, explain the results in plain words, and design a system around what we find.
- Starts with
- A certified lab test
- Lab results
- In about a week
- Treats
- Iron, sulfur smell, arsenic, nitrates, bacteria
- Installed by
- Licensed journeyman plumbers
Why private wells need testing
City water is tested on a schedule and the results are public. A private well gets tested only when the owner arranges it.
Idaho DEQ has found nitrate levels rising in groundwater in parts of Ada and Canyon counties, and some Canyon County wells have tested above the standard for arsenic. Neither one changes how water looks, smells or tastes. A lab test is the only way to know.
The EPA limit is 10 ppb (10 µg/L) for arsenic and 10 mg/L (as nitrogen) for nitrate. Your lab report shows your numbers next to those limits.
This one is personal. Our owner grew up on a ranch where his mother had health problems linked to arsenic in the family well. We never guess at a well. We test it.
Signs to watch for at your tap
Some well problems show up on fixtures or in the air. Others never show at all.
What you might see
- Orange or rust stains in sinks, toilets or the shower
- Black or dark gray specks and stains
- Dingy or yellowed laundry
- Cloudy water, or grit in faucet screens
- White crust on fixtures and inside the kettle
What you might smell or taste
- A rotten-egg smell, strongest on the hot side or when the tap first runs
- A metallic, bitter or musty taste
When to test even if everything seems fine
- You just bought the property or have never seen a lab report
- It has been over a year since a lab test for bacteria and nitrates (a good yearly habit)
- The well or pump was just worked on, or floodwater reached the wellhead
- The well sits near fields, livestock or a septic drain field
- Your water changed color, smell or taste
How it works
Each stage of a well system has one job
Well systems are built in stages, in the order your water needs them. Sediment comes out first so it can’t clog anything downstream. Next come iron, manganese and sulfur smell, then hardness.
UV disinfection sits near the end, once the water is clear enough for the light to work. Arsenic or nitrate treatment often goes at the kitchen tap. We only install the stages your results call for.
What we treat
Common well water problems and how we fix them
Iron and manganese
These leave the orange and black stains. An oxidizing media filter uses a pocket of air to turn them into particles the filter bed catches, then backwashes them away.
Rotten-egg smell
That smell is hydrogen sulfide gas, and an air-injection filter oxidizes it before it reaches your faucets. If it shows up only on the hot side, we check the water heater first.
Arsenic
Arsenic comes in two forms, and one must be oxidized before most systems can capture it. The fix may be reverse osmosis at the kitchen tap or a whole-home media system. We retest to confirm.
About reverse osmosisNitrates
Nitrate dissolves completely, so ordinary filters let it pass. Reverse osmosis reduces it in the water you drink and cook with, and we talk through whole-home options when levels run high.
Sediment
Sand and grit wear out valves and can shade bacteria from UV light. A sediment filter at the front of the system protects every stage after it.
Ultrafiltration as a final polish
A very fine membrane near the end of the line. It catches fine particles, cloudiness and many microorganisms that slip past earlier stages, when your test shows the need.
When a test finds bacteria
A positive bacteria test is fixable. The usual first step is shock chlorination, which disinfects the well, pump and plumbing. Septic systems need care during this step, so we plan where that water goes before we start.
Then we retest. If bacteria come back, a UV system disinfects water as it enters the house, with a filter ahead of it and a new lamp each year. Read more about UV and disinfection.
How we design your well system
Tell us about your well
We talk through what you've noticed and what you want checked. Testing depends on what you need to know.
Certified lab test
We set up a certified lab test for your well. There is a lab fee, and results take about a week.
Plain-language results
We walk through every number on the lab report with you, then design the system and put the price in writing.
Install
Licensed journeyman plumbers install it, with a whole-home plumbing check included. A system with several stages can take longer than a standard install.
Retest and care
We retest after install and keep up with annual service and UV lamp changes for years. If you'd rather not add salt yourself, text us and we'll swing by. Plan on a lab test of your well once a year.
Start with a test of your well
We set up a certified lab test of your well, explain every number in plain language and design a system around the report. There is a lab fee, and results take about a week.