Autotrol City Hard Water + Iron System

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Water supplied to homes in Whatcom County primarily comes from a local aquifer, with water drawn from wells ranging between four and 24 feet deep. This groundwater feeds into the city distribution system, delivering water to residential taps. The quality of this water reflects natural and environmental factors influencing the aquifer.

What happens when city hard water and iron remain untreated for years?

Over time, hard water can cause scale buildup inside pipes and appliances, which may reduce their efficiency and lifespan. Iron in water can lead to reddish or brown staining on fixtures, laundry, and surfaces, and may affect taste. While these effects can be bothersome and costly to manage, they do not inherently signal a health risk. Addressing the issue helps maintain household plumbing and reduces visible stains and the dry feeling associated with hard water.

How many samples and wells inform the iron data for Whatcom County’s aquifer?

The United States Geological Survey collected 45 samples from 45 distinct wells between November 2013 and September 2017. These wells were selected within the local aquifer and spanned shallow depths from 4 to 24 feet. The sample size provides a reasonable regional snapshot but does not detail variability at any single household well or tap.

What does the range of iron levels mean compared to federal standards, and what does it not mean?

The measured iron levels for the region ranged from 4.3 to 4980.0 micrograms per liter (µg/L), with a median value of 26.5 µg/L. Importantly, none of these measurements exceeded federal thresholds for iron in drinking water. This means the reported values do not indicate a violation of regulatory limits or a safety concern. Rather, they help characterize regional water quality for factors affecting taste, appearance, and plumbing.

What do terms like ‘detected’, ‘median’, and ‘range’ signify in these water quality results?

• Detected: Iron was found at measurable amounts in 29 of the 45 samples, while in 16 samples, levels were below the laboratory’s reporting limit.
• Median: The middle value in the dataset, 26.5 µg/L, indicates half the samples had iron levels above and half below this figure.
• Range: The lowest and highest detected values (4.3 to 4980.0 µg/L) reflect natural variability in iron concentrations between different wells.

How does iron enter groundwater and municipal water in Whatcom County?

Iron naturally occurs in the region’s soil and bedrock and can dissolve into groundwater as it moves through the aquifer layers. This process results in varying iron concentrations in water drawn from wells. The city system distributes this water, typically after treatment steps that address hardness and iron content to minimize impacts on plumbing and water use.

What should you NOT conclude from the regional iron data?

While these regional figures provide useful context, they do not reveal iron levels in any individual household’s water supply. Only testing your home’s water can determine its specific iron content and hardness. Also, detecting iron in these samples is not an indication of health risk, as all measurements remained below federal standards. If your household water shows challenges related to hard water or iron staining, the Autotrol City Hard Water + Iron System ships ready to configure and is designed to reduce these issues effectively, helping maintain household water quality and appliance function.

Where this information comes from

Source: USGS groundwater sampling. Sampled 2017-09-21. These figures describe groundwater sampled in this area. They are not a test of any individual private well - only a test of that well can establish its own water.

On record: U.S. Geological Survey sampling of Iron in the aquifer (Whatcom County): 45 results from 45 wells, median 26.5 ug/L, range 4.3-4980.0 ug/L; none above any federal threshold