No two water supplies in West Virginia look quite the same. The cause of a homeowner’s water problems depends on a lot of factors, including whether they’re on a private well or municipal water, where they live in the state, and even the condition of their home’s plumbing. This guide covers some of the water problems we see most often across our West Virginia service area, so you can get a better idea of what might be affecting your water.

Hard Water

Hard water contains dissolved calcium and other minerals. Most homes in West Virginia have some degree of hard water, whether supplied by a private well or a municipality, though it tends to run especially high in areas with limestone or dolomite bedrock, like the karst geology found through the Eastern Panhandle.

Hard water isn’t an acutely dangerous problem, but its effects are frustrating and can be costly over time. Homeowners don’t always recognize the signs that they have it or the ongoing cost it creates:

• Dry skin and hair
• Bathtub rings
• Spotted glassware and silverware
• Dull and dingy laundry
• Weak water pressure
• A shortened lifespan for water-using appliances

A Kinetico^® water softener is typically the most effective way to solve hard water problems at the source.

Iron and Manganese Staining

Depending on where you live in West Virginia, your water can pick up iron or manganese as it moves through soil and rock, which shows up as rusty orange or black staining on clothes, fixtures, sinks, tubs, appliances, and toilets. This is especially common in areas with coal-bearing rock and iron-rich shale, which run through much of the state’s plateau regions, including the Monongahela Valley, though it can turn up anywhere groundwater passes through iron-bearing soil.

Iron often shows up first as a metallic taste, or water that looks clear coming out of the tap but turns orange or brown after sitting out and reacting with air; manganese behaves similarly but leaves darker, black-brown stains instead. If you notice either, it’s worth having your water tested rather than relying on bleach or vinegar alone, since iron and manganese need the right filtration media to remove properly. A Kinetico water softener or Kinetico water filter will eliminate iron and manganese staining.

Blue-Green Staining

Water with a low pH, which is fairly common in areas with granite bedrock or sandy soil, can leave behind blue-green stains, most noticeable on white surfaces like sinks, tubs, showers, toilets, and white clothing.

This kind of corrosive, acidic water shows up in pockets throughout West Virginia’s mountainous regions, and it does more than stain: over time, it can corrode copper pipes and fixtures, leading to pinhole leaks and, in some cases, elevated copper or lead levels in your water. Because of that risk, it’s worth treating sooner rather than later.

Instead of attempting a DIY fix, contact Martin Water Conditioning about an acid neutralizer, which treats the water and eliminates these stains.

Chlorine Taste and Smell

If your home is on a municipal water system, your water is treated with chlorine to kill harmful bacteria before it reaches you. Chlorine is essential at the treatment plant, but it is not needed once the water is in your home, and it comes with drawbacks:

• Your water tastes and smells unpleasant
• Dry out skin and hair
• Faded clothing
• Dried out rubber seals in appliances

Some homeowners also notice it more during certain times of year, since municipal systems often adjust chlorine levels seasonally to manage bacteria growth in warmer months.

If your water smells like a swimming pool right out of the tap, chlorine is almost always the cause. A Kinetico water filter or Kinetico drinking water system removes chlorine from your water.

Cloudy Water

Cloudy, murky, or grayish water, also called turbidity, is usually caused by dissolved or suspended solids like silt, sediment, or air bubbles. It can appear naturally, especially in well water after heavy rain or snowmelt disturbs the ground, or it can follow nearby construction, road work, or municipal line repairs that stir up sediment in the distribution system.

A quick way to tell the difference:

• If a glass of water clears from the bottom up after sitting a minute or two, you’re likely just seeing trapped air bubbles, which is harmless.
• If it stays cloudy, it’s worth having it tested, since even water that looks clear can still carry a high level of dissolved solids.

Treatment options range from whole-home sediment filtration to drinking-water-only solutions, depending on your goals.

Bacteria and Viruses

The CDC estimates there may be as many as 12 million cases of waterborne acute gastrointestinal illness in the United States each year, frequently caused by bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in the water supply.

This is a particular concern for West Virginia well owners, since private wells are not subject to the same testing requirements as municipal systems and can be contaminated by nearby septic systems, agricultural runoff, or flooding, especially after heavy rain.

Unlike hardness or staining, bacterial contamination often has no visible sign at all, which is why the CDC and most local health departments recommend well owners test annually rather than waiting for a noticeable problem. A Kinetico drinking water system or specialty treatment system removes these contaminants.

Tastes and Odors

Water in its natural state is colorless, tasteless, and odorless, so if your West Virginia water tastes or smells off, it is worth finding out why.

• Rotten egg smell: This is usually caused by hydrogen sulfide, a colorless gas with a sulfur odor that’s common in West Virginia groundwater, especially in wells near coal seams or shale. It can also accelerate corrosion of metal appliance parts and plumbing over time, in addition to being unpleasant.
• Metallic taste: This usually points to iron, copper, manganese, or zinc, either naturally occurring in groundwater or picked up from an aging distribution system or corroding plumbing. A metallic taste that comes and goes, rather than staying constant, often points to plumbing corrosion rather than the water source itself.

Serving West Virginia

Martin Water has technicians and service locations covering West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, the Eastern Potomac Highlands (Keyser, Moorefield, Petersburg, Romney, Parsons, and surrounding communities), and the Monongahela Valley Region (Morgantown, Fairmont, Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Grafton, and surrounding communities).

To find out exactly what’s in your water and the right way to fix it, contact us for a free water analysis. A Martin Water technician will test your water and walk you through your options, with no pressure and no guesswork.