What should I know about well water and hard water in Florida?

About 88 percent get it through a public water system. The rest are on private wells or small systems, and a private well is its owner's job: Florida does not require routine testing of a home well. The Department of Health strongly recommends testing it for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year, and says most owners should test for lead every three years. Your county health department will tell you how to collect the samples and have them tested, usually for $20 to $30 a sample, and state-certified private laboratories test too. Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Duval, Flagler, Highlands, Hillsborough, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Sarasota and Volusia counties have local rules that require testing of a new or repaired well. The same limestone makes the water in most of Florida hard. Its calcium and magnesium leave soap scum, spots on dishes and shower doors, and mineral buildup that clogs pipes and makes a water heater cost more to run. Water with more than 10.5 grains per gallon, or 180 parts per million, counts as very hard. Hard water is not a health risk: the University of Florida's extension service says research shows no harm from drinking it. On a septic system, keep a softener's backwash out of the tank.

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