2 Signs Your Well's Water Is Contaminated By Road Salt

Posted on: 31 March 2021

When you depend on a well to supply your home with water, most of the water is supplied by the groundwater surrounding the well. If anything contaminates the groundwater, chances are high that it will make its way into your water supply.

After a winter full of heavy snow and ice, the roads are typically covered with salt. Then, once the spring rains rinse the road salt away, it enters into the groundwater and can wind up in your home's well. There are a couple of signs that this may have happened to the well on your property.

1.  Skin Feels Dry and Flakes after You Take a Shower

One sign that your well's water has been contaminated with road salt can be observed after you take a shower or bath. After rinsing and drying off, you may find that your skin feels overly dry and starts to flake.

Because of the road salt content, the water will actually pull moisture and natural oils out of your skin. This will cause your skin to feel excessively dry.

And since the salt makes your water hard, the minerals will leave a film on your skin. Once they and your skin dry, you will find that you can brush off this film with your hand or a towel, which creates the flakes.

2.  Water Has an Overpowering Salty Flavor to It

Another sign that your property's well supply has been contaminated by road salt is when you start noticing that your water has an overpowering salt flavor to it. While not exactly the same chemical composition as table salt, road salt does have a sodium chloride base.

Once the levels of road salt increase in the water supply, you will be able to taste it not only when you drink a glass of water but also in any food cooked in water. While not immediately detrimental to your health, consuming too much road salt over a period of time can adversely affect it.

If your water tastes like someone dumped a handful of salt in it and it makes your skin dry and flaky after bathing, your well's supply may have been contaminated by road salt over the previous winter. This contamination can make your water hard as well as significantly decrease its quality. Contact a contractor who offers water well system quality testing services to have them verify your suspicions and to have them determine how much the water is affected.

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