Private wells in New Berlin still draw the old groundwater
When the city moved to lake water in 2009, the aquifer underneath did not change. The utility’s published figure for that groundwater was 18 to 32 grains per gallon, and homes on private wells draw from it to this day.
Call (262) 829-5961Mon to Fri, 7am to 5pm18 to 32 grains, by the city’s own old figure
Before July 2009 the city pumped this groundwater itself and published it at 18 to 32 grains. The USGS calls anything above 10.5 grains per gallon very hard, so even the low end of that range clears it easily.
Your own well may sit anywhere in or near that range, which is why your lab results matter more than any city figure. A New Berlin house that never switched to city water has been drawing this aquifer all along.
What the quote needs from a well owner
Tell us you are on a well and share any lab results, hardness first. Add your household size and the spot where your water line comes into the house.
Iron is a frequent companion of hardness in these wells. If iron appears on the report, mention the number when you call.
Reading a lab report in grains
Lab reports frequently state hardness as milligrams per liter. Dividing by 17.1 turns that into grains per gallon, the unit softeners are set in. That is how Milwaukee’s 137 milligrams per liter for its lake water comes out at about 8 grains.
Bacteria and nitrate: not a softener’s job
Softening puts sodium where the calcium and magnesium were, or potassium for anyone who buys potassium chloride for the brine tank. Treating bacteria or nitrate is not what a softener is designed for.
Wisconsin’s DNR suggests a bacteria test for a private well no less than yearly, softener or not.
Common questions
Is my well water the same as New Berlin city water?
No. City water has been Lake Michigan water since July 2009, at about 8 grains. A private well pumps groundwater from the aquifer the city drew on before then, published at the time at 18 to 32 grains.
Is a lab report required before I call?
No. Share any results you already have; if there are none, say so, and the plumber’s first test on install day measures your water before anything is connected.
Does the RO drinking tap come with a well system too?
Yes. Well water or city water, the RO tap rides along with every whole-home softener.