Well water problems, diagnosed before you spend a dollar on equipment.

Well water is untreated and untested by any utility, so contaminants like iron, bacteria, and pH problems go unmanaged unless the homeowner tests and treats it directly. City water, by contrast, is treated and tested continuously by law. That means well water needs its own testing schedule and equipment sized specifically for it, not gear built for municipal supply.

At minimum, once a year for bacteria and nitrates, and any time you notice a change in taste, smell, or color. If you’re buying or selling a home, a full panel test is standard. See our well water testing guide for what to test for and where to send samples.

Whole-house filters protect all plumbing and every tap from contaminants like iron and scale, while point-of-use filters like under-sink RO only treat drinking water at one faucet. Whole-house systems cost more but address staining, scale, and corrosion throughout the home, while point-of-use filters are cheaper but narrower in scope. Our filtration systems guide breaks down when each makes sense.

If only the hot water smells, it’s almost always your water heater’s anode rod reacting with sulfur bacteria inside the tank, not your well. If both hot and cold smell, that’s hydrogen sulfide gas coming from the well itself. The fix is different in each case: see our hot water and sulfur smell guides.

Well water filtration costs range from a few hundred dollars for basic sediment and carbon setups to several thousand for full iron, manganese, and softening systems with whole-house RO. Our cost breakdown guide itemizes every component so you can sanity-check a quote.

Yes, the Well Water Diagnostic Calculator is completely free to use with no signup required, and it estimates your likely water problem and system size in minutes. It’s a starting point for research, not a replacement for a certified water test.