Corrales, Sandoval County
Water treatment for Corrales homes on private wells
In Corrales, the water at your tap comes from your own well. That puts you in charge of what's in it, and it's why we start every Corrales visit with a test, not a sales sheet.
A farm village with no water main
Drive Corrales Road from one end of the village to the other and you'll pass orchards, horse pastures, fields fed by irrigation ditches and the cottonwoods of the bosque along the Rio Grande. What you won't pass is a village water main. Corrales has no public water system, so each household draws from its own private well.
That independence comes with a responsibility most city residents never think about. A public utility tests its water on a schedule and publishes an annual report. A private well isn't regulated that way. If you own the well, you own the testing, and nobody sends you a reminder.
Most Corrales properties also treat their own wastewater with a septic system. A limited STEP sewer serves an area along Corrales Road, but outside that area the well and the septic tank usually share the same lot. On acreage that's rarely a problem. On smaller or older lots, the distance between the two deserves a closer look.
Nitrate is the one to watch
A state groundwater study found nitrate in some Corrales wells and linked it to septic systems. In that study the levels were below the health standard, but nitrate has no taste, color or smell, so the only way to know where your own well stands is a lab test. State rules require a septic drainfield to sit at least 100 feet from a private drinking water well, and that setback exists for exactly this reason.
What we look at on a Corrales well
Our free on-site test takes about 15 minutes and gives you results in real time, with a plain-English printed report to keep. At the sink we check hardness, total dissolved solids, pH, chlorine, iron and manganese, and sulfur. On a private well we go further: we help you arrange lab testing for bacteria, nitrate, arsenic and other contaminants that a quick on-site test can't measure reliably.
We don't treat bacteria. If a lab result shows a bacteria problem, that's a disinfection issue and we'll tell you so plainly, then point you toward the right kind of help before recommending any equipment.
Corrales water at a glance
The short version, for anyone new to the village or new to well ownership.
- Water source
- Private wells. There's no village water system in Corrales.
- Wastewater
- Mostly on-lot septic, plus a limited STEP sewer along Corrales Road.
- Who tests the water
- The well owner. Private wells aren't regulated like public systems.
- Worth a lab test
- Bacteria, nitrate and arsenic, along with anything your on-site results flag.
- Septic setback
- State rules call for at least 100 ft between a drainfield and a private drinking water well.
- Common install spot
- After the pressure tank, in a garage, utility room or well house with a drain nearby.
Three ways we help Corrales households
Each one solves a different problem. Your results decide which, if any, makes sense.
Scale on everything
If your well leaves crust on fixtures and glass, a water softener for your Corrales well removes the calcium and magnesium behind it and can handle a small amount of iron.
Sediment, taste and odor
Grit from the well, earthy tastes and some organic compounds are what carbon filtration is for. See whole-home filtration in Corrales, including specialty media when a test shows iron, manganese or sulfur.
What you drink
Neither a softener nor carbon removes nitrate or arsenic. Reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink in Corrales is the standard point-of-use answer for both, confirmed with testing.
Questions Corrales well owners ask us
Does Corrales have city water I can connect to?
No. Corrales has no village water system, so homes rely on private wells. That's why testing and treatment decisions in the village start with your own well rather than a utility report.
How often should I test my Corrales well?
Many well owners test for bacteria and nitrate every year, and again after any change such as septic work, a flood, or a new taste or smell. We can help you arrange the lab side whenever you're due.
My neighbor's well tested fine. Does that mean mine is fine too?
Not necessarily. Well depth, age, construction and the distance to the nearest septic drainfield all vary from lot to lot, so two neighboring wells can test differently.
Will a water softener take care of nitrate?
No. A softener removes hardness minerals and a little iron. It doesn't remove nitrate or arsenic. If a lab test shows nitrate you want reduced, reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink is the usual approach.
Find out exactly what's in your water — free.
A 15-minute on-site test with results in real time, a plain-English report, and an honest recommendation. No pressure, no obligation.