Well Water Treatment in Margate

Public wells vs. private wells

The City of Margate draws raw water from its own wells; its Utilities Division page counts twelve. In 2025, FDEP identified 27 potential contamination sources near those wells with low to moderate susceptibility, and the city's report says none of those contaminants were detected in source water samples. That assessment and all of the city's testing apply only to the public system.

A well on your property, even a shallow one used only for sprinklers, is outside that system.

What raw Biscayne Aquifer water can carry

• Iron, which stains. The city aerates to remove it; a private well does not.
• Hardness, which the city lime-softens; a private well does not.
• Hydrogen sulfide, the rotten-egg smell.
• Color and organic matter in some wells.
• Bacteria, which need a lab test.

In other words, a private well owner is doing for themselves what the Margate plant does for city customers.

Florida Department of Health guidance

The Department of Health recommends regular testing of private drinking wells for total coliform and E. coli and offers testing through its environmental laboratories. Its fact sheet on odor and staining covers hydrogen sulfide, sulfur bacteria and iron bacteria.

If you buy a Margate property with an existing well, ask the seller what it is used for, when it was last tested, and whether it is connected to anything inside the house.

Configuring a well system

Living Water configures well water systems from the well's test. Depending on results, that can include aeration or oxidation for sulfur and iron, filtration, an ion-exchange softener, and an RO at the kitchen sink. Disinfection is considered if bacteria are a concern; see UV vs. RO for well water.

The order of treatment matters: iron and sulfur are usually handled before a softener, so the softener resin is not fouled. A system configured in the wrong order underperforms no matter how good the parts are.

Irrigation wells

For sprinkler wells, the goal is stopping stains and smells, not drinking quality. See orange stains and sulfur smells. Keep irrigation plumbing separate from your city water: a cross-connection between a private well and the public supply is not allowed.

Start with a test

Jorge tests hardness, iron, pH and TDS at the well and tells you when a certified lab test for bacteria or other contaminants makes sense. Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974. Living Water offers financing through its financing partners; you apply with a credit application, and a co-applicant can apply with you.

Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist