Well Water Vs. City Water: Which Option Is Better?

If you’re debating whether you should have a well dug up and get access to fresh groundwater or ditch everything and get convenient city water, then this is the guide to go through first. For city water you need to pay the monthly bill while for water well drilling and well pump installation, there is some installation and maintenance cost involved. Let’s begin!

A Comparison Between Well Water And City Water

Getting Access To Water

It’s important to discuss how you’re going to get the water from either a well or the city council. They are completely different when it comes to access.

Well Water

For well water, all of the responsibility is yours. If you want fresh, clean, and underground water from a well, then you have to dig one up first. This is a very tedious process and you want to do it all by yourself.

This is also something that you need to start quickly because you won’t have water until the well is dug up, cemented, and ready to be used. Then, you will also need pumps and tanks to store the water in it and make it available in every single faucet of your house.

City Water

As for city water, you really don’t need to do anything other than calling up the local water supply and having them give you a water connection. You just need to supervise this part of the process and the rest is up to the city water supply company.

This is way easier and you can get water in your house within hours and don’t have to waste money, in case a well comes up dry after digging, which is a huge bummer. 

Convenience

Convenience is part of the reason why water distribution is categorized into two main types. So, if you want to ensure a sound water supply in the house, then you need to make sure that you’re making the right decision.

Well Water

When it comes to well water, it is convenient, as long as the well comes up with a lot of fresh water. Yes, digging up the well, setting up a space, having pumps, and then maintaining everything is a hassle and it’s anything but convenient, but if you already have a well in your home and want to get an uninterrupted water supply, then it’s worth a shot. You will be surprised at how easy it is to get water from a well.

City Water

As for city water, the process is pretty minimal from the get-go. These companies are made to provide convenience, so you can get water for a predetermined price. This includes laying the infrastructure for the pipes, from where the water will come, and everything that you need.

All you need to do is pay a bill at the end of each month. It doesn’t get more convenient than city water. 

Water Quality

Even though you want the water supply to be convenient, that doesn’t mean that you can compromise on the quality of the water itself. It is really important that you consider a water system that gives you fresh, clean, and safe water to drink.

Well Water

For well water, this is one of the biggest advantages. Water from a well is very clean and it is usually high in nutrients as well. It’s seldom hard and it doesn’t need to be cleaned a lot, maybe just a simple filtration and that is it.

You can taste the freshness of the water and it will put all other water types to shame. That’s how good it is.

City Water

As for city water, you can’t help but feel like something is missing. The taste isn’t as fresh as well water and there might also be an aftertaste of chemicals and chlorine, which is important to add in water to treat and purify it on a large scale.

Even though it’s necessary, it will sometimes alter the taste of water. Not to mention, it will also pick up a metallic taste from the pipes, so it’s overall not a good choice if you like fresh and good-tasting water.

Price

The next very important factor to go over is price.

Well Water

Well water doesn’t cost you anything, as far as monthly expenses are concerned. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s all free. The well drilling cost, the machinery cost, and the installation cost will add up. Moreover, there will also be maintenance costs from time to time. To avoid bigger issues, have the water well and your well pump inspected by a well pump repair Knoxville company.

City Water

As for city water, all you need to do is pay a monthly bill and get a set amount of water flowing into your home. This is very economical for a lot of people, considering that they don’t have to do anything, like dig up a well on their own and set up a bunch of machinery.

Responsibility

Well water and city water are poles apart when it comes to looking after and responsibility.

Well Water

Well water and the overall well is your responsibility. It’s your property and you need to do everything about it, whether it’s water well maintenance or any problems or malfunctions in the well or the pump. A well is not going to be looked after by someone else.

Also, when digging up a well, you need to double-check that where you’re drilling is a sizable water reservoir, because if it isn’t, then you’ll be wasting your time and money.

City Water

As for city water, the only responsibility that you need to keep in mind is paying the bills on time and not overusing the water. You’re not getting an unlimited water supply for a set amount of money, so you need to ensure that you’re using the water responsibly. However, there’s not a lot that you need to do other than these two things.

If there is any problem with the water or the supply, then you can simply complain and let the company do its thing. Since you’re paying for it monthly, you don’t have anything to worry about. 

Contamination

The contamination of water is also very important to go over.

Well Water

Usually, well water doesn’t get easily contaminated, but that’s not to say that it’s impossible. Well water can easily get contaminated if you’re not keeping it covered. Anything from underground pollutants, to dead animals and even leaked septic tanks can contaminate the water and it will ruin the taste of water for good.

Natural disasters can also cause the water to get dirty, so it’s something that you need to go over if you want your water supply to be clean and safe from any kind of contaminant.

City Water

As for city water, it can get contaminated very easily. Large-scale contamination and the overall source of water, being surface water or treating used water, can lead to contamination.

Natural disasters like floods and hurricanes can also contaminate the water on a large scale and that can be highly inconvenient because the water supply has to be stopped temporarily to deal with the problem. So, even though that happens once in a blue moon, you still need to be prepared for the worst, because it’s not impossible.

Conclusion

Both well water and city water have their pros and cons and you want to know exactly what you’re getting into. Luckily, this guide will tell you just that. For city water, you will need to consult your local municipal water authorities and for a water well drilling, you should consult a well pump service Hagerstown for taking care of permits, the drilling process, and well pump installation.

 
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