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For homes on their own well

Your well water: test it, understand it, treat it right

About 43 million Americans drink from private wells, and no utility tests that water for them.1 We help you read the signs and pick only the treatment your water needs.

A red farmhouse and barns among autumn trees above a pond in the Vermont hills Photo: Jitze Couperus · CC BY 2.0 · modified

Where do you want to start?

Not sure yet? All problems & fixes · How to test your well

  • Every fact sourced EPA, CDC, USGS and extension guides, as footnotes
  • Lab numbers first We match treatment to test results, not to a pitch
  • Independent No manufacturer sees or approves our pages
  • No cookies, no trackers Nothing loads from other servers

Two systems we'd look at first

One for the most common well complaints, one for wells that don't have them. Each guide says when to skip it.

We may earn a commission if you buy through our links. It doesn't change the picks.

Illustration

For iron, manganese and sulfur smell

SpringWell WS1

$2,100 brand list price $2,625 Price checked Oct 31, 20262

  • Iron ≤ 7
  • H₂S ≤ 8
  • Mn ≤ 1 ppm2

Your water is tested before it ships. If it doesn't fit, the system is refunded; the $134.25 test isn't.2, 3

Check price at SpringWell
Read the iron filter guide
Illustration

For low-iron water, smaller homes

Aquasana Rhino Well with UV

$1,749 brand list price $3,498 Price checked Oct 31, 20264

  • Carbon + UV
  • Up to 2.5 baths4, 5

Not an iron filter. 90-day money-back guarantee: full refund of the purchase price.5, 6

Check price at Aquasana
Read the Rhino Well review

Not sure which one fits? SpringWell vs. Aquasana, side by side

Test first, then treat only what's there

Most of what matters in well water has no color, taste or smell. Three steps, in this order.

1 in 5

private wells sampled by the USGS had at least one contaminant above a human-health benchmark, mostly natural ones.7

  1. A hand filling a clear glass jug with water at an outdoor tap Photo: Shixart1985 · CC BY 2.0 · modified

    Test with a certified lab

    Bacteria and nitrate every year, iron and manganese every few years.8, 9 One state-certified lab charges $78 for its basic homeowner package, or $153 with the metals panel that covers iron and manganese (2026).10

    How to test your well

  2. Read the numbers

    Which results are health issues, which are nuisances, and what treats each one.

    Problems & fixes
  3. A sunny cottage kitchen with a wooden counter, a sink under the window and exposed beams Photo: Shixart1985 · CC BY 2.0 · modified

    Treat only what you need

    Stages in the right order, sized for your home, and nothing your water doesn't call for.

    Whole-house setup

More: Printable test checklist · All reviews · About & method

A white farmhouse in low autumn sun under a big golden oak, with Pilot Mountain behind Photo: Candeadly · CC BY 4.0 · modified

How we make money, in plain words

Some links go to SpringWell and Aquasana. If you buy through one, the manufacturer may pay us a commission. Your price stays the same, and those links say right next to them.

  • We tell you to test first, though an independent lab test sells nothing for us.
  • Every pick comes with when to skip it, and what to do instead.
  • We haven't installed or lab-tested these systems. Our picks come from manufacturer documents, certification listings and extension guidance.

How we make money How we research

Have your lab report?

Enter the numbers and see which stages you need, in the right order, and which reviewed systems fit. It runs in your browser; nothing is sent.

Open the filter selector
A common order (our summary of the guidance)11, 12, 13
  1. 1Sediment
  2. 2pH
  3. 3Iron & sulfur
  4. 4Softener
  5. 5UV

Only the stages your test calls for.

Sources (13) · checked Oct 31, 2026
  1. EPA: EPA, Private Drinking Water Wells (2026-08-25; checked 2026-10-31)
  2. SpringWell: Whole House Well Water Filter System (WS1/WS4) product page (seen 2026-10-31)
  3. SpringWell: Shipping, returns and refunds (free shipping to the continental US only) (seen 2026-10-31)
  4. Aquasana: Rhino Well Water with UV product page (seen 2026-10-31)
  5. Aquasana FAQ: Rhino Well Water FAQ (seen 2026-10-31)
  6. Aquasana: Refunds and returns (seen 2026-10-31)
  7. USGS: USGS, Domestic (Private) Supply Wells (2019-03-01; checked 2026-10-31)
  8. CDC: CDC, Guidelines for Testing Well Water (2024-07-01; checked 2026-10-31)
  9. UGA Extension: UGA Ext. Bulletin 939, Water Quality and Common Treatments for Private Drinking Water Systems (2026-07-01; checked 2026-10-31)
  10. UW–Stevens Point lab: UW–Stevens Point WEAL, 2026 Analysis Price List (valid to 2026-12-31; checked 2026-10-31)
  11. Virginia Cooperative Extension: Virginia Tech/VCE 442-670, Household Water Treatment (2024-10-22; checked 2026-10-31)
  12. Penn State Extension: Penn State Ext., Water Softening (2025-09-08; checked 2026-10-31)
  13. Connecticut DPH: Connecticut DPH, Publication 18: pH-Acidity of Private Wells (May 2009; checked 2026-10-31)