Why the Well: diagnose the symptom before buying the filter

Why it surfaced

Why the Well turns household clues—rotten-egg smells, orange stains, a slimy toilet tank, low pressure, or a flooded well cap—into diagnostic forks. Its central rule is unusually clear: start with the symptom, not the product, and route possible coliform or nitrate problems toward a lab or health department rather than a pitcher.

A symptom-led guide that helps private-well owners distinguish water-quality problems from pump, plumbing, or health concerns.