The questions that children have are funny, but at times quite frightening. As the parent of an 8, 7, 6, 4, and 2 year old, answering questions are just a part of my daily routine. However, last week, my 4 year old took asking questions to a whole new level. I would have never in a million years thought that a child that is so young would be interested in how water pumps work.

A water well is a structure in the ground that is formed by digging of drilling. Digging allows access to ground water that is stored in aquifers. Well water contains more minerals than surface water. Unfortunately, the chemicals that are used to soften the water used in a lot of residences, removes many of the minerals that are in well water. Along with removing the minerals, the taste of the water is also changed.

According to my mother, the conversation started when my 4 year old daughter was trying to get her to explain why our kitchen faucet does not have the equipment that my parents have on their kitchen sink at home. Since my parents own a water purification system that is more aged than the one that we have, it is a little confusing to the little ones.

My mother started out by telling my daughter that the handle on her faucet is bigger because the water system that she owns is older than the one that is at her house. My daughter still did not understand what the age of a thing had to do with the way that it looked if the same purpose was served.

In the test tube, the agents were taught to collect a sample of water from the residence in which they were doing the presentation. With no hesitation, most home owners agreed. After collecting the water sample, the agent used a dye solution to test the water.

It is amazing that a conversation beginning as a question concerning the description of a product turned into a debate on why water needs to be purified. My son did not understand why water had to have a system in order for it to produce water. He understood that water comes from the earth, but just how it is possible is something that he could not quite grasp.

When families are fortunate enough to use well water, unfortunately, the responsibility lies on that family to pay for the upkeep and maintenance of the system. From my understanding, it takes years for something to go wrong with the water pump, but when the problem occurs, it is a disaster. Repairs are very costly as well.

Having to choose between healthier well water and a public water pump system is really not a difficult choice. However, that decision is not normally left up to the customer. This decision is normally dependent upon the location of the residence. Having to use water that is stripped of nutrients is unfortunate. Having to pay for water that can be free is another problem that we can’t change. The only thing that can be done is to deal with the situation and try to remain as healthy as possible.