Well water vs. city water: What’s the difference?

Water is such a crucial, fundamental element of daily life, you might not think about where your home’s water comes from — especially when you’re shopping for a new house, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth considering.

How you get your water does depends on where you live: Your home may draw water from the city or a private underground well. There are benefits and drawbacks to both public or private water that you should think about when shopping for a new home.

What is well water?

Well water is a private form of water that comes from an underground aquifer on your property that integrates into your home’s plumbing system via pipes and a pump. As of 2019, the United States Geological Survey estimated that 43 million Americans — about 15% of the population — use well water. You can buy a home with a well previously installed or install a well yourself after purchase.

Pros of well water

There are a number of benefits to using well water on your property. They include:

• No water bill: Since you don’t need the city to gather your own water, you don’t have to pay a monthly water bill.
• Reduced environmental impact: City water is for everyone, which means the government takes regulation and health seriously. As such, public water is often treated with chemicals. Typically, private well users use far fewer chemicals, ensuring the water that runs back into the environment is as clean and natural as possible.
• More control: Water always has contamination risks but well-maintained wells can offer potentially healthier water and delicious water that you’ll actually want to drink more of — not only that, but it’s also great for irrigation and cleaning.
• More reliable: There have been many instances over the years of city water becoming tainted or cut off for various reasons. Well water is much better protected from natural disasters and flooding than city water, which runs in enormous, delicate systems. With just one water source to manage, you’ll know sooner if something is wrong with your water and be able to address it at the source.

Cons of well water

Well water isn’t free of issues, however. There are still drawbacks to well water, including:

• Upfront costs: Although you won’t have a water bill every month, building a well in the first place can be an expensive one-time payment. Digging a well costs anywhere from $3,750 to more than $15,000.
• Electric bills: Gone are the days of manually pressing a pump to get your water, but it has to happen somehow. Electric pumps ensure your water reaches the house but they’ll raise your electric bill and are subject to power outages.
• Filtering: Well water often contains sulfur and other dissolved materials from the ground. They’re safe to drink and wash with but some ground materials can stain fixtures or cause plumbing issues, which means you’ll need to put filtration and treatment systems in place. 
• Potential contamination: Well water can be contaminated by other things in the ground, like farm runoff, septic tanks, and other underground systems.
• Personal responsibility: If your water is contaminated or your pump stops working, you bear the sole responsibility of decontaminating and repairing your well system. The city won’t do it for you.

What is city water?

If 15% of Americans use well water, that means 85% are using city water. City water is a public water source that is implemented and managed by the local government. Water comes from a public source and is treated and distributed through a government-sanctioned system. Considering how widely it’s used, there are obviously benefits to city water, but it’s not without its shortcomings, as well.

Pros of city water

City water has a number of benefits, including:

• Convenience: Any city or suburb and even most rural areas offer city water. It’s the most convenient option for the vast majority of people.
• Extra nutrients: Most city water plants treat water with minerals and chemicals that are lost during the filtration process. These added nutrients, like fluoride, can provide health benefits.
• Frequent testing: City water must meet or exceed EPA quality guidelines. Homeowners may request a free water test at any time and city officials often provide water testing results to the community annually. If water does become unsafe to drink, the city will notify residents.
• Potentially better mortgage terms: Because well water is less regulated, it can lower property value. Lenders sometimes decline loans for homes that are off the city water grid or have a well that isn’t fully operational. City water signals stability to lenders and could result in better terms, mortgage rates, or a higher property value.

Cons of city water

Even though it’s used by the vast majority of people, city water still has its share of drawbacks, including:

• Bills: Nobody likes bills. When you use city water, it’s one more monthly bill to add to your to-do list.
• Not always fresh: City water is subject to bureaucracy and varying regulations between states and even municipalities. Because it’s often purified runoff or surface water, treatment plants have to treat water with chemicals. Those chemicals, which vary in abundance and frequency of use all over the country, can affect the taste and safety of the water.
• No control: Natural disasters, construction accidents, droughts, and a myriad of other factors may impact your city water supply. Sometimes, the city or state is negligent in meeting clean water standards (as they have been in Flint, MI and Jackson, MS, for example).

Is well water or city water better?

As with everything in real estate, choosing between well water and city water comes down to personal preference. But to make a more informed decision, consider these four factors when weighing your options:

Cost

City water comes with monthly bills but wells can be expensive to maintain. In terms of daily use, well water is far less expensive than city water (since there's no municipal fees to pay) but if you’re concerned about the upfront costs of installing the well or the occasional big bills for maintenance then well water may not be for you.

Maintenance

Speaking of maintenance, if you’re not the handiest person or you don’t want to deal with the oversight of a well, city water is easily a more preferable option.

Related: Your home winterization checklist

Safety

You can’t keep water completely protected from contaminants. You have to test either city water or well water routinely to ensure its cleanliness. As we said before, city water testing schedules vary by municipality and dirty water has been known to make entire cities sick. Again, it’s worth remembering the catastrophic failures of Michigan and Mississippi to deliver clean water to its citizens. Wells have fewer opportunities for contamination and won’t become victim of public incompetence or injustice.

Reliability

Accidents happen that can keep city water or well water from reaching you. However, even during a power outage, you’ll be able to manually pump water. There are also backup options in the event of a drought. Generally, both city water and well water are reliable, but if you want an extra sense of control, well water is better.

Most homeowners don’t have a real choice between city water and well water. In cities, where you’re never going to be able to drill for a well, you’re stuck with city water. The same is true for most suburbs. However, if you do have a choice between well water and city water, it’s vital to understand the implications of each to make the best informed decision for you.