About Well Almanac

About 43 million people in the US get their drinking water from a private well, according to the USGS, and nobody tests or treats that water for them. The owner is the water utility. Well Almanac exists for that owner: the person staring at an orange stain, a lab report full of mg/L figures, or a pump that won’t stop cycling, who wants a straight answer before calling a dealer.

Who runs it

Well Almanac is published by Zack Baker, who also edits every page. Zack is a researcher and editor, not a licensed well driller, pump installer or water-treatment dealer, and the site doesn’t pretend otherwise. His job here is to collect what the primary sources say (manufacturer spec sheets and service manuals, EPA and CDC guidance, state health departments, university extension services, USGS) and put it in one place, in plain language, with the sources listed on each page.

How pages are made

We don’t run a lab and we don’t install equipment in test rigs. Product comparisons are built from the manufacturer’s published specifications and manuals; guides are built from government and extension publications. Each page lists its sources at the bottom. The full method is on how we research.

When the sources disagree, or a figure only appears in a seller’s marketing, we say so rather than picking the convenient number.

How the site is paid for

Some links to products are affiliate links: if you buy through them, Well Almanac may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Details are on the affiliate disclosure. Manufacturers and retailers don’t see pages before publication and can’t buy a placement. The rules we hold ourselves to, including how AI tools are used in drafting, are in the editorial policy.

Corrections

If you find an error, or a source has been updated, email wellalmanac@proton.me. Corrections are made promptly and the page’s updated date changes with them.