Well water can be hard, and EPA lists a water softener as the treatment for hardness on a private well. But a well is not city water: no utility tests it for you, and what comes out of the ground can carry more than calcium and magnesium. A softener for well water starts with a test, not a purchase.
Install Water Softener is an independent referral service, not an installer or plumber. When you send the form, your details go to an independent local water treatment pro who can contact you and prepare a quote.
You are the water utility
EPA says private well owners are responsible for delivering safe drinking water to their households. Private wells are not regulated under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, nor by most state governments, and more than 23 million U.S. households rely on them. So there is no yearly water quality report to read: the figures come from your own test.
Test first
EPA and CDC both advise testing a private well at least once a year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH, and again if conditions near the well change (flooding, land disturbance, new construction) or after any part of the well is repaired or replaced. Use a laboratory certified for drinking water testing; EPA notes that some local health departments test private wells for free.
For a softener, ask the lab to add hardness, iron and manganese to those safety tests. Those three help decide what system a pro suggests.
Hardness on a well
EPA’s private well guidance lists scaly deposits and soap that will not lather as signs of hardness, with a water softener as the treatment. The U.S. Geological Survey grades hardness from soft (0 to 60 mg/L) through moderately hard (61 to 120) and hard (121 to 180) to very hard (more than 180). Your lab report gives the figure in mg/L or grains per gallon; one grain is about 17 mg/L. That figure, with the number of people in the home, sets the size of the softener. Because well water can change over time, size from a recent test rather than an old one, and test again on the yearly schedule so the softener’s setting can follow your water.
What else may be in the water
EPA publishes secondary guidelines for things that affect taste, color and staining. They are not enforced, but they are the figures a pro will compare your test against:
| What | EPA guideline | What you may notice |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 0.3 mg/L | Rusty color, sediment, metallic taste, reddish or orange staining |
| Manganese | 0.05 mg/L | Black to brown color, black staining, bitter metallic taste |
| Total dissolved solids | 500 mg/L | Hardness, deposits, colored water, staining, salty taste |
| pH | 6.5 to 8.5 | Outside the range, ask the pro what it means for your pipes and treatment |
A softener is built for hardness. If your test shows iron or manganese above these guidelines, or anything that is a safety concern, the answer may be a filter or other treatment as well as, or instead of, a softener. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s advice is to ask first what you want removed, then choose equipment certified by NSF, UL or the Water Quality Association to remove that.
Where the softener goes on a well
On a well system, the softener goes after the pressure tank and before the line branches to the water heater, so hot and cold water are both softened. Any sediment or iron filter has its own place in the line; ask the pro which order they suggest and why. The spot needs a drain for the rinse water, a power outlet and room for the brine tank. The whole house installation page covers the rest of the plumbing.
Have your well test and want a softener quote?
What to ask the pro
- Which of my test results does this system treat, and which does it not?
- What hardness, iron and manganese figures did you size it from?
- What is it certified for, and to which standard?
- Where will it go in relation to the pressure tank and any filter?
- What does the upkeep look like with my water?
- When should I test again?
If the well itself has problems, such as low pressure, a pump that cycles or water that changed suddenly, that is a job for a well contractor before any treatment goes in.
Questions people ask
Can you have a water softener with well water?
Yes. EPA lists a water softener as the treatment for hardness on a private well. Test first, because iron, manganese and other things in well water change what a pro suggests.
Do I need a filter as well as a softener on a well?
It depends on your test. If iron, manganese or anything else is above EPA’s guidelines or is a safety concern, ask what treatment is certified to remove it.
