Problem Water Solutions for Nova Scotia
Find your symptom. Understand the cause. See the fix.Discoloured, smelly, gritty, or just plain off. Problem water is more common than most people think, especially on well supply.
Whatever’s wrong with yours, we’ve almost certainly seen it before and solved it. It all starts with a water test.
Find Your Symptom, Find Your Fix
Recognize a symptom below? Each card walks you through what you’re seeing, what’s causing it, and how we solve it.
Common water problems, group one
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Hard Water
Symptom. Chalky buildup, spotty dishes, foggy glassware, dull laundry, and scale on your fixtures.
Cause. High levels of calcium and magnesium in your water.
Our solution. A water softener removes the calcium and magnesium, leaving your water soft, your dishes spotless, and your laundry brighter.
Full hard water guide
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Iron Stains
Symptom. Orange and brown staining in sinks, tubs, and toilets, and sometimes a metallic taste.
Cause. Dissolved iron in your water supply.
Our solution. An air-oxidation filter removes iron without salt or chemicals. In some cases a softener can handle it. The right fix depends on your water test.
Full iron & manganese guide
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Manganese
Symptom. Brownish or black staining and a metallic taste.
Cause. Manganese, often found alongside iron in well water.
Our solution. An air-oxidation filter clears manganese cleanly, with no salt or chemicals. A softener may also be recommended based on your test results.
Full iron & manganese guide
See Your Problem Above?
Every fix starts the same way: a water test that shows us exactly what you’re dealing with. Book yours and we’ll take it from there.
Common water problems, group two
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Sulphur / Rotten-Egg Smell
Symptom. That unmistakable rotten-egg odour from your taps.
Cause. Hydrogen sulphide gas in your water.
Our solution. An air-oxidation filter, or a micronizer, removes the hydrogen sulphide and the smell along with it.
Full sulphur guide -
Acidic Water / Low pH
Symptom. Corrosion on pipes and fixtures, sometimes blue-green staining.
Cause. Acidic, low-pH water that slowly eats away at plumbing.
Our solution. A neutralizing filter boosts your water’s pH back to a healthy neutral, protecting your plumbing and fixtures.
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Chlorine Taste
Symptom. A noticeable chlorine taste or smell, common on municipal supply.
Cause. Chlorine added during municipal water treatment.
Our solution. A reverse osmosis point-of-use system at the tap, or whole-home carbon filtration, removes chlorine for fresh, clean-tasting water.
Invisible contaminants
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Salt Water
Symptom. A salty taste, often in coastal areas.
Cause. Salt water intrusion into coastal wells.
Our solution. A point-of-use or whole-home reverse osmosis system removes the salt and restores drinkable water.
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Arsenic
Symptom. None you can taste or see, which is exactly why testing matters.
Cause. Naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater, a known carcinogen.
Our solution. Reverse osmosis or whole-home filtration removes arsenic. We have successfully treated arsenic levels as high as 1390 µg/L.
Full arsenic & uranium guide
Lab-tested contaminants
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Uranium
Symptom. Like arsenic, undetectable without a test.
Cause. Naturally occurring uranium in groundwater.
Our solution. A reverse osmosis system, or a strong-base anion resin paired with a softener, removes uranium from your water.
Full arsenic & uranium guide -
Bacteria
Symptom. Often no warning signs; a lab test is the only sure way to know.
Cause. Bacterial contamination, including E. coli and coliform, common in untreated wells.
Our solution. An ultraviolet light system treats your water as it enters the home, neutralizing bacteria for safe drinking water.
Full bacteria guide
Nova Scotia Problem Water, Answered
Iron, sulphur, arsenic, uranium, bacteria. Nova Scotia’s bedrock and private wells throw up the same handful of issues again and again. Here’s what they mean and how we fix them.
Why is my well water orange, rusty, or staining my fixtures?
Orange-brown staining on sinks, tubs, and laundry is almost always dissolved iron, one of the most common well-water problems in Nova Scotia. A salt-free air-oxidation filter removes it at the source, and a water test confirms the right size and type of system.
Why does my water smell like rotten eggs?
That rotten-egg odour is hydrogen sulphide gas, common on Nova Scotia wells. An air-oxidation filter or micronizer removes the gas and the smell along with it.
Can you remove arsenic and uranium from Nova Scotia well water?
Yes. Arsenic and uranium occur naturally in Nova Scotia bedrock and dissolve into well water with no taste, smell, or colour. Reverse osmosis or whole-home filtration removes them. We have successfully treated arsenic levels as high as 1390 µg/L. A certified lab test is the only way to detect them.
My water looks and tastes fine. Could it still be unsafe?
Yes. Arsenic, uranium, and bacteria such as E. coli and coliform give no warning you can see, smell, or taste. The only way to know your water is safe is a lab test, and most of these problems have a straightforward, lasting fix.
How do I treat bacteria or E. coli in my well?
An ultraviolet (UV) light system treats your water as it enters the home, neutralizing bacteria including E. coli and coliform for safe drinking water. We confirm the problem with a lab test first.
What should I do first if I think I have a water problem?
Start with a water test. It shows us exactly what you’re dealing with, whether you can see it or not, so we recommend only the treatment your water actually needs. If you go ahead with a system, we credit your standard testing fee back toward it.
Serving All of Nova Scotia from Waverley
- EcoWater Nova Scotia, 2156 Rocky Lake Dr, Waverley, NS B2R 1R3
- 902-832-7873
- ecowaterns@gmail.com
- Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. In-store by appointment only.
Evenings and weekends by appointment. Call or leave a message and we’ll confirm a time.
We test, install, and service water systems across all of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, from the Halifax metro and the South Shore to the Annapolis Valley and Cape Breton Island.
Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, Lower Sackville, Waverley, Fall River, Hammonds Plains, Tantallon, Windsor, Truro, Elmsdale, Chester, Bridgewater, Lunenburg, Kentville, New Glasgow, Antigonish, Sydney.
Don’t see your town? We travel across the whole province. Get in touch and we’ll come to you.
What Our Customers Say
Find Out What’s Really in Your Water
A water test shows us exactly what your water needs, whether you can see it or not. Book yours today.