Well Water in Montgomery County: What to Test and Why

Your well draws water from old limestone and dolomite rock layers deep underground. These rocks are cracked and fractured, and water moves slowly through those cracks over many years. This ancient rock is the same type found across the whole region in all your neighboring counties.

Manganese, radon, and sulfate come straight from the rock itself. As water sits inside the limestone for years, it dissolves minerals out of the stone. Radon is a radioactive gas that escapes naturally from the rock. The rock also contains sulfate minerals that dissolve into the water over time.

Your water is extremely hard, meaning it has lots of calcium and magnesium dissolved from the limestone. You will see thick white crusty buildup on faucets and inside pipes. Iron from the rock stains sinks and laundry orange-brown, and the water tastes like minerals.

Radon, manganese, and sulfate in Montgomery County well water exceed EPA health standards. Radon is the most urgent concern because it poses serious health risks at the levels found here. Your water also contains high amounts of iron, sodium, and chloride that exceed EPA limits. This is a high-urgency situation that demands immediate testing.

Long-term exposure to radon increases lung cancer risk. Manganese at these levels can affect brain development and nervous system function in children and adults. Beyond health concerns, your water will stain sinks and laundry orange from iron and leave white crusty buildup from extreme hardness. The water may taste metallic and have a sulfur smell.

Contact a state-certified lab right away for a comprehensive test that includes radon, manganese, and metals. A basic health screen costs fifty to one hundred dollars, while a full mineral and metals panel runs two hundred to four hundred dollars. Because you have multiple contaminants at dangerous levels, a whole-house treatment system combining radon removal, a water softener, and iron filtration will be necessary.