Bad Water

?One year ago, my wife and I bought a small farm north of town. We were assured by the previous owner that the water was not only okay, but that it was good. We weren't able to move to the farm for about six months. In that time, we found out that we were going to have a baby. We were very excited. Until we got the water all hooked up in our new home.

Turns out that the water is NOT good. It is not even okay. Water from the tap in town is less than 10 grains hard and has less than 1/2 part per million (ppm) iron content. 

Our water is 122 grains hard! Our water has 8 ppm iron! This iron is 'dissolved' in the water and oxidizes when it is exposed to oxygen. It is turning all of our fixtures orange! We tried (and are currently) running the water through 3 whole house carbon filters and a water softener, and it is doing very little. The water also has a large amount of manganese in it, which turns black and gooey in some instances, but worse it smells like sewer. SO, our water turns things orange (or black), smells like sewer, and literally leaves behind piles of mineral dust when it evaporates. 

We don't use our well water for anything other than bathing and laundry. It's really not great for those either. I am now hauling about 100 gallons of water twice a week to water our horses and dog. I also purchase about 20 gallons a week for consumption and cooking. My wife and I were willing to 'tough it out' until we had saved enough for our well, but now we have a one month old baby girl. The thought or her bathing in/using this water horrifies us.

We have been told that a new well could cost as much as $10,000 or more. We have saved a little bit, and will continue doing so, but we really need a new well sooner we will be able to do it on our own. We don't ask for much, so please consider helping us (or at least our precious Scout) fix our water problem.

Thank you,

Paul, Larissa, and Scout Elizabeth