Common Water Problems in Connecticut

Hard water can wreak havoc on your home. These deposits collect in your water heaters and appliances, causing them to run less efficiently. Hard water can also take a toll on your skin and hair, leaving it dry and damaged.

Low pH (acidic) water can be corrosive to your entire plumbing system and can leave blue/green stains on fixtures throughout your home. If left untreated, it can result in leaks in your plumbing.

Too much iron in your water can cause rust stains in your fixtures, stains in your laundry, and a metallic taste to your water. If you have grown accustomed to red and orange stains in your appliances or on your pipes, then you may be dealing with an abundance of iron in your water well. While this is one of the well problems that is not directly harmful to your health, it stains everything it touches and can be difficult to clean up. This is one of the most common well problems because Connecticut’s bedrock has a much higher iron count than most of the country.

Not only does it cause a rotten egg odor, but at really high levels (which is very rare) the sulfur can become both poisonous and flammable. Sulfur water can be difficult to trace, because sometimes you think it is coming from your well, but it may only be coming from your pipes, or even just from your hot water heater.

Sediment is undissolved particles in your water that can give your water a hazy or murky appearance and can clog faucets. If not filtered out of your water supply, they can cause clogs and excessive wear and tear to your pipes and appliances.

Manganese, often found in the rocks and soil in Connecticut, gives drinking water a metallic taste, can cause black staining on your laundry, and clog valves and other plumbing parts.

Coliform bacteria are found in the soil, water that has been influenced by surface water.

E. coli bacteria is found in water that has been contaminated by fecal waste, rather than from the soil itself.

Radon is a gas that has no color, odor, or taste and comes from the natural radioactive breakdown of uranium in the ground. You can be exposed to radon by two main sources:

Radon can get into the air you breathe and into the water you drink

Radon gas can also dissolve and accumulate in water from underground sources (called ground water), such as wells. When water that contains radon is used in the home for showering, washing dishes, and cooking, radon gas escapes from the water and goes into the air. It is like carbonated soda drinks where carbon dioxide is dissolved in the soda and is released when you open the bottle. Some radon also stays in the water.