I grew up in the country where we had our own well. The water was sweet-tasting — not to be confused with sugary. It also tasted a tad on the metallic side. Inside the house we had to combat rust stains in our tub and sinks. The only product we ever found to deal with the rust effectively was a cleanser that, when you sprinkled on its powder, immediately bleached out even the most stubborn rust spots. The problem was exacerbated by aging porcelain that was porous and pitted. That’s one of the drawbacks to renting old farm houses. You can’t just ask for an appliance upgrade.

In those days, about the only water recommendation made to well owners was to employ a water softener system. You could have your water quality checked by the local extension office of the USDA, but most of us didn’t unless an entire household got sick and it was traced to the water. In our rural community this never occurred thankfully. Even town water was palatable and chlorine-free for a time.

But times change. Now some days you turn on the faucet and it smells like someone just poured bleach into the pipes. And my thought is, what bacteria are they trying to kill this time?