Arsenic in Home and Community Water Wells

Families all over King and Pierce counties, especially in Black Diamond, Maple Valley, Ravensdale, North Bend, Preston, and Fall City, are concerned about dangerous arsenic levels in their well water - for good reason. Some home and community water wells in the Puget Sound area are contaminated with dangerous levels of arsenic.

Northwest Water Treatment has sampled and lab tested for arsenic in numerous home water wells in King and Pierce counties, including many in Black Diamond, Maple Valley, Ravensdale, North Bend, Preston, and Fall City. Lab results have found levels as high as 800 parts per billion (ppb). Of our clients, the water wells tested in Black Diamond had the highest levels of arsenic.

Arsenic is a natural element and is present in both surface water (lakes, rivers, oceans, etc.) and ground water (water under the earth's surface in the spaces between soil and in the fractures of rock formations). Well water is drawn from groundwater. Unfortunately for home owners using well water, arsenic concentrations are highest in groundwater. If your well water has arsenic - don't worry, we can effectively reduce arsenic in well water to an acceptable level.

Where does the arsenic in home water wells come from? Arsenic in groundwater comes from both natural and human sources. In the Puget Sound region, including Black Diamond, Maple Valley, Ravensdale, North Bend, Preston, and Fall City, most arsenic in home well water is from naturally occurring arsenic in underground rock formations. When water flows through underground rock formations it can carry some of the arsenic with it into aquifers. When your home water well taps into an aquifer it may be an aquifer which contains arsenic.

Human activities can contribute arsenic to groundwater, but in the Puget Sound region, human activity has not contributed noticeable levels of arsenic to our groundwater. Some of the activities they looked at as possible contributors were mining, ore smelting, agriculture, and wood preserving.

If you are concerned about arsenic in your well water, the first step is to have your home or community well water analyzed by a qualified lab to discover whether arsenic is present. A comprehensive analysis is important because arsenic is a health-related contaminant. Collecting and submitting a water sample for analysis is relatively easy. You can do it yourself or we can collect and submit your sample for you. Your water test results will show whether arsenic is present, and if so, the concentration. The concentration of arsenic and other factors will help us to determine the next step.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) set an arsenic maximum contaminant level (MCL) for public water supplies at 0.010 mg/L. This is equivalent to 0.010 parts per million (ppm), or 10 parts per billion (ppb). The EPA also sets the MCL Goal (MCLG) for arsenic at zero or non-detect.

Curious about drinking water contaminants? Click here for information by the EPA.

If your water well contains arsenic above the levels deemed safe, we can design and install a filtration system that will effectively remove the arsenic. Your water filtration system design will take into account the concentration of arsenic in your water, other water quality issues you want to address, and the amount of water you use. This ensures that your system has the capacity to effectively filter the amount of water that meets your family's flow requirements.

Along with your arsenic filtration system design, we will recommend a monitoring schedule. Monitoring simply means that you periodically collect and submit a sample of your filtered well water to a qualified lab for comprehensive analysis.

When we complete your water filtration system installation we will happily teach you how to perform routine maintenance. Or, if you would like us to perform your water filtration system maintenance, simply contact us to schedule.

Your team at Northwest Water Treatment specializes in addressing well water quality issues, including arsenic. We provide families all over the Puget Sound with efficient, long-lasting, cost-effective water quality solutions. As a customer, you can count on us long term as a trusted resource to address your concerns and resolve any water quality issues you encounter.

With a water filtration system in place, ongoing monitoring, and ongoing maintenance, you and your family can confidently enjoy drinking healthy and delicious water from your home water well.

Contact us for more information about arsenic in home water wells, learn more about our services for homeowners and communities, or get details on how to submit a home well water sample for laboratory analysis.