Drinking Well Water – A Safe Practice?

In this day and age with the internet revolution changing the way we do things, well water is not an uncommon phenomenon regardless of whether your country is regarded to be a developing or developed nation.

(At least, they were being  honest when they used to refer to Asian countries as "underdeveloped" before.)

My country, India, has been long regarded to be a developing (read: underdeveloped) nation, and with an inherent lack of opportunity and vision, it is no wonder that people just want to disappear to a land which has more respect for their abilities and talents. But I digress…

Well water also has been a part of our tradition, immortalized by the pretty Indian damsel singing a song while making her way to the community well to draw clean water… er… and has now been exchanged for global (read: American) attributes, much to the chagrin of Indians of previous generations.

And this business of obtaining clean water from wells in the United States is just as preposterous as from wells in India for reasons that are dependent on nature and industrialization and most pertinently, humans. Here's an interesting link from recent news that might throw some light as we delve a little deeper.

Well Water

While some kids today might have only seen wells on television and over the internet, and perhaps, might never see one in their lifetime (Read this inspiring story though!), some of us have actually had the privilege of living in simpler times.

(Yes, talk about a serious workout in drawing 30 pails of water from a well – I loved it!)

So, it shouldn't be hard to gather that drawing water from a well happens in rural areas where the concept of "civic amenities" is but a farce! The government plays no part in providing water to these folks who like where they live, and have no such awareness of whether the water they are drinking is pure or not.

And what should be apparent to the keen mind is the fact that not all wells are of the same depth, which of course, means that you won't be able to get the same amount and quality of water.

Drinking Well Water: A Safe Option?

While the quality of water might be a little better in rural areas, the same cannot be said as you get closer to the 'big city'. And just in case you had any doubts about the safety of drinking well water, reading that article should have confirmed them. Period.

And perhaps the biggest reason for this is because of contamination from a variety of sources from industrialization, storage sheds that house hazardous materials, septic tanks, gardens, underground storage tanks and even roads.

The presence of methane, arsenic, manganese, iron and now, nitrates can be the reason why water from this source cannot be considered safe apart from the presence of micro-organisms that can easily contaminate the water that is idle, if you will. And if that's not enough, salination is yet another common problem.

Treating the water is a viable solution but then again, it is an expensive one, and it's a chance that people who are used to well water have to take!

In Closing

So, what's the solution?

Move to a underdeveloped country? No, not unless you have a thing for pretty Indian women. (I'm sure most American men would love to delude themselves!)

Move to the city, and deal with pollution? No, of course not.

You're fine where you are…

Here's a link that might help you get started in terms of protecting your well water, and perhaps, bring the drinking water quality up to the standards that are acceptable by the EPA.

So, tell us what you think about the standard of drinking well water if you have any thoughts or suggestion that might help our readers…