Well Water in Iron County: What to Test and Why

The water in Iron County comes from spaces and cracks in mixed bedrock. This rock is old and dense, made up of many different types of stone. Water fills the small openings in this rock layer as it sits deep underground.

Iron is packed into the bedrock in this area, which is why it shows up in well water. Radon is a natural radioactive gas that comes from the rock itself. Arsenic also exists naturally in the mineral-rich stone. The deep location of this water source provides some protection against surface pollution.

The water here is loaded with minerals. Iron at 170 parts per million will stain sinks and laundry orange or brown. Sulfate at 7000 parts per million gives the water a bitter or medicinal taste, and sodium at 1700 parts per million is high enough that people watching their salt intake should know about it. This water is very hard and will build scale on pipes and fixtures.

Iron and radon both exceed EPA health standards in Iron County wells. These contaminants come from natural minerals in the bedrock beneath your property. Testing your well is important to know what you are dealing with.

High iron causes orange and brown stains on sinks, toilets, and laundry that are hard to remove. The very high sulfate levels can make water taste bitter or give it a rotten-egg smell. Long-term radon exposure increases cancer risk, though you cannot see, taste, or smell it in water.

Get your well tested by a state-certified lab. A basic health screen for bacteria and nitrate runs about fifty to one hundred dollars. A comprehensive metals and minerals panel runs two hundred to four hundred dollars and will tell you exactly what is in your water. A water softener combined with iron filtration can reduce staining and improve taste.