Well Water in Brown County: What to Test and Why

Your well draws water from old limestone and shale rock layers deep underground. These rocks have small cracks and spaces where water moves slowly through. The rock sits hundreds of feet below the surface in Brown County.

Manganese and nitrite appear because of how water sits in contact with these rocks over long time. In low-oxygen conditions underground, manganese dissolves out of the limestone and shale. Nitrite shows up from bacteria breaking down nitrogen in the rock and soil. Both of these metals and compounds exceed health standards in your area's water.

Your water is extremely hard with very high levels of sodium and sulfate. Hard water leaves white crusty buildup on pipes and fixtures and makes soap work poorly. The high sodium and sulfate can damage water heaters and pipes over time. You should test your well through a state-certified lab and talk to a licensed water treatment professional about a whole-house system.

Brown County's well water exceeds EPA health standards for manganese and nitrite. Both contaminants show up at levels that need your attention. Arsenic is also present in the area's water and warrants testing. These three substances together mean you should have your well checked right away.

Long-term exposure to manganese can affect how your child's brain develops and cause problems with learning and behavior. Nitrite interferes with how your blood carries oxygen. The high mineral content in your water—especially the very high sodium and sulfate—will make your water taste salty and bitter. You'll also see orange-brown staining on sinks and laundry from the iron, and white crusty buildup on pipes and fixtures from the hardness.

Get your well tested by a state-certified laboratory as soon as possible. A basic health screen for bacteria and nitrate costs fifty to one hundred dollars, but a full metals and minerals panel runs two hundred to four hundred dollars and will tell you exactly what you're dealing with. Because multiple contaminants exceed health standards, you'll likely need a whole-house treatment system combining water softening, iron removal, and arsenic filtration.