Which kind of well do you have?
| Drinking well | Irrigation well | |
|---|---|---|
| Supplies | The whole house | Sprinklers only |
| No WASD water bill? | Likely | You still get a WASD bill for the house |
| Usual complaints | Odor, iron, hardness, taste | Orange stains, sulfur smell outdoors |
| Treatment | Whole-home well system | Iron treatment on the sprinkler line |
Check a specific address
Miami-Dade publishes an open-data list of properties potentially served by septic systems or private wells, and a Connection Finder service for water and sewer connections. Because Westchester is unincorporated, these county tools are the authority; there is no city utility to call.
Florida's testing advice
- Test for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year.
- When buying or selling a home, test for coliform bacteria, nitrate and lead.
- Ask the local health department about extra tests based on nearby land use.
Those go to a certified lab. Jorge's visit adds what equipment decisions need: hardness, iron, sulfur odor, pH and dissolved solids.
How a well system is built
There is no single package. From the results, a system might combine sediment filtration, iron and sulfur treatment, softening and a drinking-water stage like under-sink RO. Bacteria control is a separate question; read UV vs. reverse osmosis for well water. Living Water's well water system is configured from the test.
Why the well matters even on county water
A house can have a WASD bill and still have a well in the yard for sprinklers. That well draws from the same Biscayne Aquifer that WASD uses, but without the Orr plant's lime treatment, filtration and disinfection. That is why the yard can show iron stains and sulfur odor while the tap water is fine. Treat the two separately: the house side for comfort and taste, the irrigation side for stains.
Sprinkler wells and county rules
Miami-Dade's year-round watering restrictions apply to wells: odd addresses Wednesday and Saturday, even addresses Thursday and Sunday, before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. For stains, see orange and rust stains in Westchester; for odor, rotten-egg smell.
Call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974.
If you are buying a Westchester home with a well, add the Florida Department of Health's recommended lab tests to your inspection list, and ask the seller whether the well serves the house, the yard or both.
https://www.floridahealth.gov/community-environmental-public-health/environmental-public-health/water-quality/drinking-water/private-wells/
https://opendata.miamidade.gov/datasets/potential-properties-served-by-septic-or-well
https://www.miamidade.gov/global/service.page?Mduid_service=ser1536071310599328
https://www.miamidade.gov/global/water/conservation/outdoor-water-restrictions.page
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist