Well Water in Lapeer County: What to Test and Why

Your well draws water from sandstone bedrock buried deep underground. This sandstone layer sits below a thick cap of clay and glacial soil. It stretches across most of Lapeer County and into neighboring areas. Water moves slowly through tiny spaces in the rock.

Arsenic, iron, and manganese occur naturally in this sandstone as groundwater creeps through it over time. The rock itself contains these minerals, and the slow, oxygen-poor conditions deep underground make them dissolve into the water. Ancient salt deposits also contribute sodium and sulfate. The clay cap above normally protects the water from surface pollution, but it cannot filter out these naturally occurring minerals.

Your water is heavily loaded with minerals. Iron at 600 parts per million will stain sinks and laundry reddish-brown and give water a metallic taste. Sodium at nearly 15,000 parts per million and sulfate at nearly 23,000 parts per million create hardness and buildup in pipes and water heaters. You need to test your well and treat the water with filtration to remove arsenic and reduce iron, sodium, and sulfate.

Arsenic in Lapeer County well water exceeds EPA health standards. Iron, manganese, chloride, and sulfate also exceed their limits. This is a high-priority situation that needs your attention right now. Your water is not safe to drink without testing and treatment.

Long-term exposure to arsenic increases the risk of cancer and organ damage. Iron at these extreme levels will stain your sinks, toilets, and laundry orange-brown. The very high sodium and sulfate will give your water a bitter, salty taste and metallic smell. Your pipes and water heater will also build up scale and corrode faster.

Get your well tested by a state-certified lab immediately. A basic health screen costs $50–100, and a full mineral and metals panel costs $200–400. An arsenic-removal system paired with a water softener can treat your water at the tap or for your whole house.