If you open the door to a well shed and see a single plastic bin with a control panel on top, or a plastic bin and a slender metal pressure tank next to it with a control panel on top, you are probably looking at a water softener system. There will be salt pellets in the bin if it is currently functional.

    But if you see an array of tanks and bins with hoses connecting them, then it’s probably a chlorinator/dechlorinator system, which indicates that the well water has one or more of the following problems: high sulfur (rotten egg smell), manganese, bacteria, or bacterial iron problems. Most systems rely on tank containing ordinary household bleach that is pumped in tiny amounts in the the water whenever it is flowing from the well. You may smell bleach around the equipment, or see bleach jugs stacked nearby.

    There is often a water softener connected as part of the system, which means the water is also hard (high level of dissolved solids, typically calcium carbonate in our area, due to the karst rock underlayment of the soil). Both types of water treatment systems require regular maintenance, along with replenishing of the salt pellets and chlorine bleach. 

    Also see our blog post What is the tank marked "potassium permanganate" in the water treatment system for? 

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Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about WELLS:

• What is the blue dumbbell-shaped tank at the well equipment?

• Does an abandoned well need to be capped or removed?

• Does a homeowner need a permit to drill a water well on their property in Florida? 

• Is a high iron level in well water a health hazard?

• How often should a well be disinfected? 

• Should I test my well water for arsenic?

• What is the danger of radon in well water? 

• What size generator do I need to run my submersible well pump?

 • Why does my well pump turn on and off every time I use water?

• What is the required water testing for an FHA, VA, or USDA mortgage application? 

     Visit our WELLS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.