Well Water vs. City Water – Which is best and why? A Guide for 2024
Well water vs. city water is one of the most common comparisons nowadays. Prospective homeowners are confused to decide which water source is the better for them. If you’re going to buy your future home, you have to choose whether your family members feel comfortable with well water, city water, or both.
People who are accustomed to the city water supply have kinds of preconceived notions about the well water. Similarly, people who are accustomed to the well water don’t like city water much. A lot of people ask questions like; out of well water or city water which one is preferable? Is well water free for use and saves bills? Is city water bad for health?
There are different pros and cons, benefits and drawbacks that need to be considered to negotiate the difference between well water and city water and which one is preferred under which circumstances. The most notable differences that you must know are financial and environmental.
However, it is not just limited to that. If you want to avoid contamination from the tap water to enjoy the purest, clean drinking water, you must go through this detailed comparison guide for municipal water vs well water.
What is Well Water?
People living in villages or rural areas mostly use the well water daily for their survival. Wells are the best natural source of accessing pure aquifers by drilling in the depth of grounds. Water gotten from the wells comes from deep soil rocks.
Afterward, the drilling process is completed, and this water is pumped through large channel ducts into water tanks. That’s why it looks fresher than the city water. With natural nutrients, well water is the best option to keep health care.
Moreover due to the natural and simpler process, private water well don’t require any mineral purification treatment or filtration like the city or municipal water. A house with well water can either be connected through a septic or sewer system.
Do you know over 40 million United States people use community well water for their survival?
This is just because of financial freedom and a safe environment. Further, you will be free to set up filter connections and save on paying the city water bills.
Is well water bad for you?
Well water contains more mineral elements than city water, which provides extra softness and freshness than hard water. If we check hard water, it contains minerals like calcium and magnesium; although these are not bad for human health, it requires a water softener to perfect drinking and cooking.
If you are accustomed to well water, switching from well water to municipal supply water can harm you.
Pros and Cons of Private Well Water
Everything has its advantages and disadvantages, and everything can’t be perfect since you don’t make it. So, well water also has its pros and cons to see if it is the best option for you.
Benefits of Private Well Water
✔️ Increases Your Property Value
Having a well on your property increases its price and value. You can ask for extra charges due to another benefit, including your high-pressure channel duct pump and a proper internal sewerage system.
✔️ Fresher than City Water
Well water is fresher than the city water, including all the high nutrients and minerals that are good for the body because it comes from the depth grounds and soil rocks instead of runoff or surface of the water.
It’s a natural source, so you don’t need to use any water softener or filter plant for the well water treatment. If your water is in good health, this is the extent of your water problems.
✔️ Budget-Friendly
Having your well is essentially free. It will cost you the initial building, management, or sewerage system; then you are free of paying the monthly municipal bills. You don’t need to deal with any hidden charges or pumped-up costs annually.
There are also places where people are produced with the federal tax credits having a well on their property. Also, well-maintenance payments are lower than paying monthly water bills, so you don’t compare both of these.
✔️ Protected Against Natural Disasters
Natural disasters like floods contaminate the city water supply, but it does not affect the well. There might be some rare cases to disrupt the good sewerage system; otherwise, there is always a way of standing out well water.
✔️ Eco Friendly
Since a private well is all-natural, none of the chemicals in the public water system affect the soil. A healthy ecosystem consists of plants, bacteria, and animals. Harm to any of them can have a dangerous effect on the environment.
For example, if a harmful chemical enters a lake or marine environment, it can have a negative impact on that ecosystem.
Drawbacks of Private Well Water
❌ Well Water Inspection and Maintenance
If you’re living in a rural area, the agricultural flow may cause contamination of well water. There is a high level of responsibility to inspect the water contamination.
You can check our article to learn how to test well water. You can get the water test kits from the ETR lab and Tap Score laboratory.
If you are still not sure that you can do this job yourself, you’ll need to hire a certified well systems professional. They’ll carry out the inspection and maintenance annually which may be quite expensive.
❌ Needs Electricity
Well water needs electricity to run the Well pump that is responsible to get the water out from the ground through pipe ducts. Also, you may go through a manual process that can be stressful for you.
You can not get water without an electrical connection; you must have an alternate solution like solar panels or generators to continue the pumping process.
❌ Well Water Contamination
Radioactive substances, leaves, fecal waste, and harmful chemicals like phosphates, iron, black sediments, and nitrates can pollute the well water. You can check our detailed guide to learn how you can remove nitrates from water.
If there is a septic system nearby, it impacts badly on the well water quality. Such type of pollution is a particular threat to the health of mothers and children and needs to be addressed.
Moreover, if the test results indicate sediments or iron in well water, you can check our review article on the best sediment filter and best iron filters to filter them out and improve the quality of your well water.
In addition, if you’re looking to remove multiple contaminants, check our article on the best whole house water filters 2024.
What is City Water?
The city supplies the water to your doorstep via large underground pipelines. This water comes from surface water like lakes, rivers, canals, flumes, ditches, or water reservoirs, then it goes through a purification process and a lot of cleaning procedures.
During the cleaning process, chlorine and fluoride chemicals are added to make it drinkable and cleaner. Most of the underground water pipelines got contaminated over years. So, you may have your water testing kit to ensure the quality and contamination of water.
The city population has been increasing day by day and people are migrating from rural to urban areas. Motor vehicles, buses, and factories are the major sources of air pollution. That’s the reason why city water suppliers have been increasing their water filter plants to avoid water pollution.
Pros and Cons of City Water
Just like well water, City water also has pros and cons. Since people living in urban areas are accustomed to town water, they have preconceived notions about the well water.
If you’re living in a metropolitan area, you must go through the cons and pros of public water to learn which one is suitable for you.
Benefits of City Water
✔️ Maintenance and Quality Assurance
Whenever you turn on your hose, you don’t have to worry about the water being tested or not. Use it without any fear as it undergoes filtration processes daily basis. If you still want to satisfy yourself, you may contact the municipal water supplier or maintenance team for an inspection.
Do you know that city water is treated according to the EPA guidelines? So most people go from city water to well water considering it healthier.
✔️ Nutrients Addition
The city water contains healthy nutrients like chlorine and fluoride added after the filtration process for purification and to help reduce tooth decay.
Most of the nutrients are released during the filtration process.
✔️ Available In Almost All Locations
If you want to go with city water, you can find it in almost all places. When you move to a rural area, you can ask for a tap water connection from the municipal water supplier committee.
There might be a chance that your home’s water pipelines are already connected to city water.
Drawbacks of City Water
❌ Turning Off the Water Supply Connection
If you rely on town water and do not pay your monthly bill, the water supplier may turn off your water connection.
If there’s a natural disaster or the city wants to treat the water supply channel drains, you may go through a hard time because water supply treatment can take hours or days to return to normal.
❌ Not So Fresh As Well Water
If you compare city water and well water, the taste of well water will win your heart. This is because the city’s water comes from rivers, streams, or water levels.
During the purification process, chemicals are added to it that may harm your body’s health.
❌ Expensive Water
It may cost you a high rate when it comes to paying monthly bills. Cities are increasing and developing their water filtration plants due to pollution components being added to city water.
Hard water requires more efficiency than normal water to go through filtration processes.
Well water vs City Water: Which is Better?
Over the years, well water vs. city water has sparked many controversial debates where every person has different thinking and peace of opinion.
Most people go with well water for a variety of reasons;
- Well water is fresh and pollution-free as compared to city water. You don’t have to pay the monthly bills for it. Wells are also highly protected against natural disasters. Moreover, it contains highly beneficial nutrients that are good for human health.
- Well water comes from natural sources, while city water is often pumped through pipes that may contain lead or other contaminants.
- Well water is typically tested more frequently for bacteria and other contaminants than city water.
City water on the other hand has certain advantages and some drawbacks. Even so, no matter the source of the water, pollution, and impurities can still find their way into your city’s water.
However, the city is responsible to meet the EPA guidelines and supply you with quality water. You should still filter the town water well before using it to avoid contamination.
As per our research, well water is safer than city water. All the users want is just healthy and clean water, no matter where it is supplied from. You have to make sure the water you are using is pure and tastes good.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
How to get well water?
Wells are the best natural source of accessing pure aquifers by drilling in the depth of grounds. Then this water is pumped through large channel ducts into water tanks.
Is well water better than city water?
Well water includes all essential nutrients naturally and tastes good than public water. At the same time, city water goes through several chemical purification processes.
It may be contaminated, passing through old underground pipelines. In short, well water is better than city water.
Is well water cheaper than city water?
Well water doesn’t cost you to pay monthly bills like city water. If there is no electricity, you can get it manually.
So, yes, well water is cheaper than city water.
Is well water cleaner than city water?
While it is true that well water is often less contaminated than city water, this does not necessarily mean that it is always cleaner or healthier.
In some cases, well water may be more likely to contain harmful bacteria or toxins. This is because well water comes from underground, where it may come into contact with animal feces or other sources of contamination.
How to get city water instead of well?
If you want to go with city water, you can find it easily at any place. Basically, we recommend contacting a municipal committee for this purpose or calling a plumber.
Can you get city water if you have a well?
It is best for you if you are using well water, but you can contact the city’s water supplier to make a water connection if you still need it.
There are some techniques that you can implement in this regard offered by professionals.
Water Well vs City water for irrigation?
If you live in the city and use city water, you need to get a permit to drill a well. You can’t use well water without a license.
Final Verdict
City water vs Well water comparison is essential to consider. This post gives you a detailed analysis of both types of water. Now once you’ve read our article completely, you’ll be able to choose which one is best and the most beneficial for you in no time.
In our opinion, well water is better as it has more benefits than city water especially the absence of chemicals which makes it more considerable than city water. Moreover, city water may have a limited water supply than well water because of regular public and governmental issues.
Furthermore, if your well water got contaminated, you can also check well water filtration and treatment systems. Now, you can decide which is best for you and can select according to your environmental conditions and area of use.
Remember to always use quality water filter cartridges with your purification systems. Stay hydrated, and stay safe!
