Well water treatment
If you're on a private well, the state doesn't test it. You do.
Well water treatment means picking equipment based on what a test finds in your private well, rather than guessing. It's for homes in rural Midland and Ector counties, Greenwood, Gardendale, West Odessa and other areas outside city water.
Signs your well needs attention
- Heavy scale and white residue
- Salty or mineral taste
- Sediment in faucet screens
- Stains or odor
- No test since you bought the house
- Small children or pregnancy in the household
Why testing matters here
The Texas Tribune reported in 2024 that officials were concerned about naturally occurring arsenic in some of the estimated 13,500 private wells in Ector and Midland counties. TCEQ doesn't regulate wells that serve a single household, and private well owners aren't required to test. The U.S. EPA likewise says private well owners are responsible for their water's safety. A 2008 TCEQ-commissioned study of the Greenwood Water System found fluoride and arsenic above federal limits in shallow Ogallala wells.
Getting a test
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Texas Well Owner Network have offered low-cost screenings in Midland and Ector counties for arsenic, E. coli, nitrate and salinity. A full lab panel costs more; the Texas Tribune cited the Texas Water Development Board saying individual testing can run up to $400. Ask the lab to include hardness and total dissolved solids so softener sizing is accurate.
Common options
- Sediment filtration ahead of other equipment
- Softening sized for measured hardness
- Reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink for arsenic, fluoride or nitrate in drinking water
- Disinfection such as UV, plus finding the cause, if bacteria show up
What affects the cost
How many issues the test finds, flow rate, where the equipment goes, and whether the well itself needs work.
Where we can connect you
Common questions
Do I have to test my private well in Texas?
No. Owners of private wells are not required to test, and TCEQ does not regulate single-household wells. Testing is still the only way to know what is in the water.
Will a softener make my well water safe to drink?
No. A softener removes hardness. Contaminants such as arsenic, nitrate or bacteria need treatment chosen for them.
Related services
- Water softener installation
- Water softener repair
- Water softener replacement
- Reverse osmosis drinking water
More background: Midland County hard water guide.
Scale on everything? Want better drinking water?
Call and we will connect you with a water treatment company that serves Midland and Odessa.