Common Well Water Contaminants
The contaminants below are what we most often find on lab reports for private wells across Bucks County and the surrounding Delaware Valley. Each guide is written in plain English — no chemistry degree required.
Hardness
Calcium and magnesium that leave scale on fixtures, dry out skin, and shorten the life of water heaters and appliances.
Read more →pH (Acidic Water)
Low pH corrodes copper plumbing, leaches lead and copper into your drinking water, and creates the classic blue-green staining.
Read more →Iron
Orange and rust-brown stains on fixtures and laundry, metallic taste, and clogged fixtures — one of the most common issues in Bucks County wells.
Read more →Sulfur (Rotten-Egg Odor)
Hydrogen sulfide gas causes a rotten-egg smell, tarnishes silver, and can corrode plumbing over time.
Read more →E. coli Bacteria
An indicator of fecal contamination — an immediate health concern that requires disinfection and source investigation.
Read more →Total Coliforms
A red flag that your well is vulnerable to surface contamination, even if no illness has occurred yet.
Read more →Arsenic
A naturally occurring, tasteless heavy metal linked to serious long-term health effects. It's found in bedrock across parts of PA and NJ.
Read more →
Have a specific concern about your water? Contact WellInsight — We will walk you through what to test for and why.