Public wells vs. a private well
| SID / PBCWUD supply | Private well | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Surficial aquifer wells about 150 ft deep | Your well, often shallower |
| Treated? | Yes, at PBCWUD plants, then chloraminated | Only if you treat it |
| Protection | Palm Beach County wellfield protection program | Your own care of the wellhead |
| Tested and reported? | Yes, annual SID Water Quality Report | Only if you test it |
Which wells you might have
- Private drinking well: on a property not connected to SID water.
- Irrigation well: for lawns and landscaping, never for drinking.
Some Westlake properties irrigate with reclaimed water instead of a well. That is a utility service, not a well, and it is not drinking water; see SID's reuse information.
If you are unsure what your property has, your SID account and the irrigation controller's water source are the place to start. Builders and HOAs can also tell you how common-area and lot irrigation is supplied in your neighborhood.
Step 1: lab tests
The Florida Department of Health recommends testing private drinking wells at least once a year for bacteria and nitrate through a certified lab or the county health department, and again after flooding, well work, or any change in taste, color or smell. These results decide whether disinfection belongs in your system.
Keep the well cap sealed, the area around it clear of fertilizer and chemicals, and a record of when the well was serviced.
Step 2: treatment screening
Jorge's free in-home test measures iron, hardness, pH, TDS and signs of hydrogen sulfide, and looks at the pump and pressure tank. Then he explains which stages, if any, make sense.
Bring the well's depth and age if you know them, and any past lab results; comparing them helps.
How a well system is built
- Iron and sulfur removal, typically oxidation and filtration.
- Softening if hardness causes scale problems.
- Carbon for taste and odor.
- Disinfection, such as UV, when lab results call for it. Compare UV vs. RO for well water.
- Optional under-sink RO for drinking water.
Living Water configures its well water system from the test.
Maintenance matters as much as equipment: media backwash, filter changes, salt for softening stages and periodic retesting. Ask for a written schedule.
Irrigation wells
Irrigation water is untreated by design and can stain walls and pavers orange or smell of sulfur near sprinkler heads. That is separate from your drinking water; see orange stains in Westlake. Call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974.
https://seminoleimprovementdistrict.com/files/documents/SID%202025%20Water%20Quality%20Report.pdf
https://seminoleimprovementdistrict.com/index.php/reuse-water-information
https://www.floridahealth.gov/community-environmental-public-health/public-health-laboratories/laboratory-services/environmental-laboratory-services/well-water-testing/
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist