Well Water vs. City Water

For those looking to buy a new home, chances are that you’ve noticed that many are on city water, while others are on well water.

This factor in the choice of your new home is important, but will largely depend on where the property is located as well as your preferences. In this article, we’ll be weighing both the pros and cons of both. You’re probably already familiar with one or the other, and soon you should be well-acquainted with both.

Pros of Well Water

No water bills

Having your own water source often means never having to deal with monthly water bills from the city. So, if you’re looking to drastically cut back on your expenses and feel you could save some money on water bills, wells will help you do that.

Best for living away from the city

If you’re living in a rural area or far from city limits, running a pipe to your home from the city supply can be a costly venture. That, the time it takes to get the city to approve your request, and the fact that you would still pay water bills every month could even make digging your own well easier and cheaper.

Well water generally tastes better

Depending on the available water table/aquifer and nearby industrial activities, well water, which can be rich in minerals and devoid of contaminants, can taste really great.

Less risk of contamination

The Flint water crisis is a reminder of how quickly municipal water can go bad and the ensuing nightmare it can cause to those affected. There’s always the risk of a repeat event, even on such a terrible scale. Toxic spills and garbage dumps into water sources, and can be dangerous to people who drink it.

Cons of Well Water

Might require considerable investment upfront

Digging new wells isn’t cheap. Apart from the cost for locating the best aquifer source and digging, you also need to consider the cost of a private water treatment system. If you’re looking at a home that already has a well, you’ll just want to make sure the treatment system is still working properly.

Maintenance and repair costs are assumed by you

When there is an issue with city water sources or the infrastructure that carries water, the government or municipality will assume the costs. But with well water, although there may be fewer moving parts, the costs of repairs and maintenance will come out of your pocket.

Pros of City Water

No need for upfront investment in equipment and manpower

If you’re only interested in moving into your new home and turning on the tap, then city water is a good option for you.

Repairs are handled by the city

Repairs and maintenance costs aren’t your concern, either. The city automatically handles all that in the event that the machines need either.

City water quality can be equally great

Lots of cities have great tasting, clean, and potable water. In fact, millions of homes depend on this. Generally, all you have to do is open your tap, run into your cup and drink. No muss, no fuss. You might have some high mineral content, or hard water, but an ion-based filtration system like those offered by Pure One Water can easily handle the common water quality issues associated with city water.

Cons of Using City Water

Possible risk of contamination

City water tends come from a few sources – usually nearby bodies of water. Ideally, waters from these sources can be treated so they are drinkable and usable. However, there are times when all the purification in the world won’t help and the water becomes unusable. The risk of this is somewhat higher with public water than with well water, and there are many more places along the infrastructure where a failure of some kind will affect your drinking water.

Monthly water bills and natural disasters

With public water, you’ll have to pay monthly water bills. If this is an issue, then you may want to reconsider opting for well water. In the event of natural disasters, city water equipment can be damaged which means you don’t get any water until the equipment is fixed.