Well Water in Castro County: What to Test and Why

Groundwater in Castro County contains arsenic, fluoride, iron, and manganese. Several of these contaminants exceed EPA health standards and deserve attention.

These metals come from the rock and soil layers in the High Plains aquifer. As water seeps down and moves through sand and gravel, it dissolves minerals naturally present in the stone. This happens across the entire region where the High Plains aquifer sits beneath the surface.

Groundwater in this county is very hard, driven by elevated calcium and magnesium that the water picks up from limestone and other rock as it moves underground. This extreme hardness is widespread across wells throughout Castro County and neighboring areas that share the same aquifer.

Wells in Castro County commonly contain arsenic and fluoride at levels that exceed EPA health standards. Arsenic can damage your kidneys and digestive system over time. Fluoride at elevated levels can affect your bones and teeth. Manganese and iron also show up above standard levels in county wells and can cause nervous system and organ concerns with long-term exposure.

The very hard water in this county creates practical problems for daily life. You will see rust stains on fixtures and laundry from iron. Scale builds up inside pipes, on faucets, and on appliances like water heaters and dishwashers, shortening their lifespan. Hard water makes soap less effective for cleaning and bathing. You might notice a metallic taste or odor in your water.

Testing is the only way to know what is actually in your well, since every well is different and yours may have higher or lower levels than what is common here. We recommend a comprehensive metals and minerals panel to check for all these contaminants--testing typically costs $200-400. Water softeners can reduce hardness, while reverse osmosis filters address both metals and minerals.