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Well-water problems
Start with your well-water test results, then explore treatment for the specific concern.
Introductory education, not a diagnosis. Treatment needs appropriate testing. Content and source links reviewed 2026-10-23; specialist review pending.
Provider services ↓Before you choose treatment
Do not use taste, smell or clarity to decide whether water is safe. If contamination is suspected or harmful contaminants are found, use bottled water or another safe drinking-water source and contact your utility or local health department. Follow official advisory instructions. [CDC: Choosing Home Water Filters][CDC: Guidelines for Testing Well Water][EPA: Secondary Drinking Water Standards]
For private wells, CDC recommends annual tests for total coliforms, nitrate, total dissolved solids and pH, plus local concerns. Test again after changes in color, taste or smell. Ask a state-certified lab how to collect samples. A hardness or iron result does not replace safety testing. [CDC: Guidelines for Testing Well Water]
Start with what you know
Note when the issue began, which taps are affected, and whether it occurs in hot or cold water. Gather recent private-well laboratory results and ask a state-certified laboratory or local health department about testing before discussing equipment. [CDC: Choosing Home Water Filters][CDC: Guidelines for Testing Well Water]
Choose your next step
Treatment should match the measured concern. No single system addresses every problem. Discuss private-well testing with your local health department or a state-certified laboratory, and check the specific reduction claims and maintenance needs of any proposed system. [CDC: Choosing Home Water Filters][CDC: Home Water Treatment Systems]
Questions to ask a professional
- Which tests would help identify the cause?
- What will the proposed treatment leave untreated?
- What maintenance and follow-up testing will be needed?
YOUR NEXT STEP
Find providers by recorded service
Browse recorded services and confirm testing needs and capabilities directly.
Browse relevant provider services →Helpful resources
Helpful resources gathered by the directory team. These listings are not endorsements.
Awareness
Article · Florida Department of Health
Well Water Facts: Odor and Staining (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
Fact sheet that helps owners tell a water-heater smell from a well or softener problem and explains iron and sulfur bacteria and their treatments.
Checked 2026-10-30
Article · South Florida Water Management District
2024 Saltwater Interface Mapping Report (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
Technical maps of where saltwater is moving into coastal aquifers, which is context for salty wells.
Checked 2026-10-30
Testing
Article · Florida Department of Health
Private Well Water Testing (opens in a new tab)
State guidance that private well owners should test for bacteria and nitrate at least yearly, with county health offices handling sample kits.
Checked 2026-10-30
Article · Lee County Environmental Laboratory
Recommended Water Test List and Prices (opens in a new tab)
Price list for the county lab's homeowner tests, such as coliform, chloride, hardness and pH.
Checked 2026-10-30
Article · UF/IFAS Extension
Household Drinking Water Testing for Public and Private Water Supplies (SL499/SS712) (opens in a new tab)
Matches symptoms (stains, odor, salty taste, cloudiness) to the specific lab tests to order, and advises testing for iron before buying a softener.
Checked 2026-10-30
Product · Tap Score (SimpleLab)
Essential Well Water Test (opens in a new tab)
Baseline mail-in lab test built for private wells.
Certifications No product certification. Brand says samples are analyzed by certified labs; the specific lab and its accreditation were not verified.
Checked 2026-10-30
Product · Mid Atlantic Water (SimpleLab network)
Hydrogen Sulfide Water Test Kit (Certified Lab) (opens in a new tab)
Single-purpose lab test that measures rotten-egg H2S levels before sizing a sulfur filter.
Certifications No product certification. Brand says a certified lab does the analysis; the specific lab and its accreditation were not verified.
Checked 2026-10-30
Product · Industrial Test Systems
ITS Complete Home Water Test Kit (opens in a new tab)
Strip-based screening kit from an established test-strip maker.
Certifications None shown
Checked 2026-10-30
Options
Article · UF/IFAS Florida Well Owner Network
Florida Well Owner Network: Resources (opens in a new tab)
Collection of webinars and guides, including an overview of home treatment options for well owners.
Checked 2026-10-30
Article · Penn State Extension
Hydrogen Sulfide (Rotten Egg Odor) in Water Wells (opens in a new tab)
Explains the causes of rotten-egg odor and compares treatments such as oxidation, aeration and carbon.
Checked 2026-10-30
Product · VIQUA (Trojan)
VIQUA UVMax PRO10 UV System (650647) (opens in a new tab)
Certified professional-grade UV; usually installed by a pro.
Certifications NSF/ANSI 55 Class A (disinfection performance): VIQUA PRO10, 10 gpm, replacement bulb 602854. Source: https://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?Standard=055 (opens in a new tab) (VIQUA, Guelph facility; checked 2026-10-30)
Checked 2026-10-30
Choosing
Product · APEC Water Systems
APEC Essence ROES-50 5-Stage Under-Sink RO (opens in a new tab)
Long-running DIY tank-style RO for drinking water.
Certifications WQA Gold Seal, NSF/ANSI 58: model ROES-50, claim TDS reduction only (34.8 GPD rated). Source: https://find.wqa.org/find-products/ctl/detail/mid/1054/cid/apec_water_systems/sid/5/keyword/roes-50 (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-10-30). Home Depot's page says "No Certifications or Listings", and its broader "reduces" list (arsenic, PFAS, bacteria, etc.) is not certified.
Checked 2026-10-30
Product · Waterdrop
Waterdrop G3P600 Tankless Under-Sink RO (opens in a new tab)
Popular tankless RO; fast flow, smaller footprint.
Certifications IAPMO R&T, NSF/ANSI 58-2021, file WC-13976: model WD-G3P600, claims TDS, fluoride, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and selenium. Source: https://mirobase.iapmo.org/pld/file_info.asp?file_no=0013976 (opens in a new tab) (listing "current as of 10/16/2026", read via search index; direct fetch returned a 500 error). REMOVED: NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 (not in the listing) and NSF 372 (only in brand docs, not confirmed in the listing). Not found in NSF's own DWTU listings.
Checked 2026-10-30
Product · SpringWell
SpringWell Whole House Well Water Filter (air injection, iron/sulfur/manganese) (opens in a new tab)
Air-injection oxidizing (AIO) whole-house filter for iron, sulfur and manganese, the DIY equivalent of systems local dealers install on SWFL wells.
Certifications None found (no SpringWell listing in NSF DWTU or WQA, checked 2026-10-30)
Checked 2026-10-30
Maintenance
Article · Florida Department of Health
Homeowner's Guide to Your Well (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
General guide to how a private well works and how to protect and maintain it.
Checked 2026-10-30
Article · Florida Department of Health
Flooded Well Brochure (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
Steps to take after a well floods: don't drink it, disinfect, test for bacteria and retest.
Checked 2026-10-30
Article · Penn State Extension
Shock Chlorination of Wells and Springs (opens in a new tab)
Step-by-step guide to disinfecting a well after a positive bacteria test or a sulfur-bacteria problem.
Checked 2026-10-30
Product · HM Digital
HM Digital TDS-3 Handheld TDS Meter (opens in a new tab)
Pocket meter for spot-checking RO output and spotting salty or high-TDS water.
Certifications None shown
Checked 2026-10-30
Product · Morton
Morton Clean and Protect Plus Rust Defense Softener Salt Pellets (40 lb) (opens in a new tab)
Salt with an iron-fighting additive, suited to softeners on iron-bearing wells.
Certifications NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 (softener salt): "Morton Clean and Protect + Rust Defense" in Morton Salt's listing. Source: https://info.nsf.org/Certified/PwsChemicals/Listings.asp?CompanyName=Morton (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-10-30)
Checked 2026-10-30
Sources and review dates
Original introductory summaries based on the sources below. Minnesota health guidance is used for general water chemistry, not Florida licensing or local requirements. Ask your local health department about local testing needs.
- CDC: Choosing Home Water FiltersReviewed 2026-10-23
- CDC: Guidelines for Testing Well WaterReviewed 2026-10-23
- EPA: Secondary Drinking Water StandardsReviewed 2026-10-23
- CDC: Home Water Treatment SystemsReviewed 2026-10-23