Water Treatment in Gainesville and Across North Florida
FL Water Well Contractor License #5016 · FGWA · NGWA · NCFWA Member · Google 5.0 Rated · Wisetack Financing
If your laundry is staining reddish-brown, your hot tap smells like rotten eggs, or your fixtures are crusted with white scale, you are on the right page. Perry-Pump Repair Service designs whole-house water treatment systems for North Florida wells: iron, sulfide, tannins, hardness, and UV disinfection. The defining piece of our approach: every quote starts with a free on-site water test, and every system is designed around what your water actually contains. No cookie-cutter packages.
The reason for that discipline is simple. Water chemistry varies massively well-to-well across North Florida. A 5-gpm iron system that is right for one Newberry well is wrong for the next Lake Butler well. We test your water on-site, look at iron concentration, pH, sulfide, hardness, and household demand, and then we design the right combination of media, valves, and injection. Pricing is call-for-quote because the right system depends on the numbers we find at your wellhead.
Perry-Pump is a family-owned, state-licensed well shop in Gainesville, serving 17 communities across 9 North Florida counties. Eric Perry is a 3rd-generation specialist; the family has worked these wells for 50+ years. No service call fee on routine residential. Call (352) 320-2412 Mon. - Fri. 8 AM - 5 PM. After hours, leave a message, and we will return the call at our earliest availability.
Call (352) 320-2412 Mon-Fri 8 AM - 5 PM. After hours, leave a message, and we'll return the call at our earliest availability.
Free On-Site Water Test
Included with every treatment quote - iron, hardness, pH, nitrate, sulfide.
Clack + Stenner Authorized
Industry-standard valves and chemical injection.
Custom System Design
Designed around your water - no cookie-cutter bundles.
17 North Florida Cities
Gainesville HQ to Lake Butler, Starke, Newberry, Lake City, and beyond.
Iron, Sulfide, Hardness, UV
Whole-house systems for the dominant North Florida chemistry.
FDEP-Licensed #5016
Fully state-licensed Water Well Contractor - public registry.
Three Water Quality Complaints That Drive Most Calls, and What Each One Means
Across 15+ years of personal experience and three Perry-family generations of wells, almost every water-treatment call we get comes down to one of three things. Sometimes all three at once. Treatment design depends on which of these you have and at what concentrations.
Iron: reddish-brown staining in tubs, sinks, and laundry.
Rust streaks on laundry, orange rings in tubs, reddish-brown stains at toilet waterlines. The water carries dissolved iron. Treatment depends on concentration and pH. Greensand or Birm media handles moderate iron in the right pH range; aeration systems like Pro-Ox (sometimes with Stenner peroxide injection upstream) handle higher loads. We test, then design.
Sulfide / H2S: the rotten-egg smell on the hot tap or at every faucet.
The rotten-egg smell is hydrogen sulfide. First step: Is it at every tap or only the hot side? Hot only usually means bacteria reacting with the heater anode rod. This is a heater repair, not a treatment install. Every tap means source-water sulfide. Aeration tower for low loads, Stenner chlorine injection for mid-range, peroxide for higher. Concentration drives the system.
Hardness: white scaling on fixtures, soap that will not lather.
Hardness is dissolved calcium and magnesium: white scaling, dish spots, soap that will not lather, dry skin, and scaled water heaters. Treatment is a whole-house ion-exchange softener on a Clack control valve, sized to household demand and grains-per-gallon from the water test. Salt refills are handled by the customer in most cases; we tell you the interval at installation.
Symptoms and Failures We See Across the Service Area
If any of these sound like what you are dealing with, call us. A lot of treatment conversations start on the phone with a few questions about symptoms, then move to an on-site water test before we ever quote a system.
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• White scaling on shower heads, faucets, and fixtures
• Soap and shampoo that won't lather, no matter how much you use
• Spots on dishes coming out of the dishwasher
• Water heater scaling and efficiency loss over a few years
• Dry skin and dull hair after showering
• Appliance lifespan cut short by scale buildup
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• Post-flood or post-storm contamination concern - UV disinfection indicated
• Standalone shock chlorination after a contamination event - referred out
• Real-estate or buyer-required bact testing - arranged separately through an FDOH-approved lab
• Routine well bact testing for peace of mind - same referral path
• UV system already installed and not sure if the lamp is still working - we audit
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• Iron + sulfide + hardness all showing in the test - combined treatment train
• Treatment-train order matters: sediment filter first, then iron, then softener, then UV
• Existing system underperforming because the order was wrong at install
• Sediment filter clogging fast because dissolved iron is upstream and untreated
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• Reddish-brown ring in tubs, sinks, and shower bases
• Rust streaks on laundry coming out of the wash
• Orange staining at toilet waterlines
• Iron-bearing residue inside dishwashers and ice cubes
• Galvanized drop pipe corroding from the inside (iron + low pH)
• Reddish discoloration in the first pour of the day from any tap
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• Strong smell only on the hot tap (likely heater bacteria, not source water)
• Smell at every tap, cold and hot (source water sulfide)
• Smell strongest in the morning after overnight stagnation
• Smell worse near the well house than at the fixtures
• Smell paired with reddish-black slime on cartridges (sulfide bacteria)
• Smell paired with iron staining (combined iron + sulfide load)
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Yellow-to-brown tannin tint, common in North Florida flatwoods wells; treated as its own stage in the train.
What Actually Happens When You Call About Water Treatment
From the phone call to the final invoice, here is the path most treatment customers walk. The free on-site water test is the foundation. The design conversation does not start until we have real numbers from your well.
Phone diagnostic + symptom triage.
Call (352) 320-2412 Mon-Fri 8 AM - 5 PM. We will ask about staining, smell, scaling, where the symptoms show up (every tap or only some), how long you have been seeing them, and any previous treatment attempts. After hours, leave a message; we return at our earliest availability.
Schedule the free on-site water test.
Most water tests land within the same week. We bring the in-house field kit and test iron, hardness, pH, nitrate, and sulfide right at the wellhead. Bacteriological testing is not part of the field kit. If you need the BACT results, an FDOH-approved lab handles that separately, and we will tell you straight.
On-site walkthrough + water test - no service-call fee.
We arrive in a marked Perry-Pump truck and walk to the wellhead, pressure tank, switch, and any existing treatment hardware. Test the water with the field kit. Routine residential diagnostics are no charge. If symptoms point to a hot-water-heater anode rod or some other non-treatment cause, we say so straight, and we do not quote a system you do not need.
Custom system design (no cookie-cutter).
Based on the water test, household demand, and existing plumbing layout, we design the right treatment combination. Iron-removal media or aeration. Chlorine, peroxide, or aeration for sulfide. Softener sized to grains' hardness and gallons per day. UV if microbial safety is part of the conversation. Treatment-train order is part of the design: sediment filter first, then iron, then softener, then UV.
Plain-language quote on the spot.
Whole-house treatment installs are call-for-quote because the design is custom. We walk you through what each component does, why we picked it, and the installation timeline. Prices are subject to change because our suppliers have been very volatile with pricing lately. Wisetack financing is on the table for larger combined treatment + filter packages.
Installation + interval guidance.
Installation runs the same day or two days, depending on the scope. We pressure-test, run fixtures, and confirm the system is doing what it was designed to do before we pack up. Salt refills on softeners and media or cartridge refills on filtration are customer-handled in most cases. We tell you the interval at install. A select few customers ask us to handle refills on a service call, and we will, but the default is customer-handled.
Follow-up + re-test if symptoms change.
Water chemistry can shift over time due to karst geology, casing changes, or seasonal fluctuation. If symptoms come back, call us; we re-test before we re-quote. The system was designed around the water as it was; if the water changed, the design conversation starts again, not a sales pitch.
Water Treatment Pricing - Why It's a Call-for-Quote
Diagnostic
$0 service call fee + $0 diagnostic charge on routine residential calls. The free on-site water test is part of every treatment quote: iron, hardness, pH, nitrate, and sulfide via an in-house field kit. Bacteriological testing is not part of the kit; that goes to an FDOH-approved lab separately.
Treatment pricing is call-for-quote. Not because we are hiding the number, but because the right system depends on what your water actually contains, and chemistry varies massively well-to-well across North Florida. Every quote starts with a free on-site water test.
Free on-site water test with every treatment quote
This is the defining piece. We will not design a system without testing your water on-site first. A 5-gpm iron system that is right for one Newberry well is wrong for the next Lake Butler well. The test takes about 20 minutes; the design conversation follows from the numbers.
Refills - customer-handled in most cases
Cartridge or media refills: customer-handled on most systems; we tell you the interval at install
Salt refills on softeners: customer-handled in most cases; we tell you the interval at install
A select few customers ask us to handle refills - we will, but the default is customer-handled
Whole-house treatment installs (call for quote)
Iron-removal system install (greensand, Birm, KDF, or aeration-based Pro-Ox with optional Stenner injection): call for quote
Sulfide / H₂S treatment installation (aeration tower, chlorine injection, or peroxide injection via Stenner): call for quote
Whole-house water softener install (Clack-valve ion-exchange, sized to household demand): call for quote
UV disinfection install (Viqua, Pentair industry standards): call for quote
Combined treatment train (sediment + iron + softener + UV in proper order): call for quote
Wisetack financing is available on larger combined treatment + filter packages. Application takes minutes; terms are shown before you sign. Military and first-responder discounts are case-by-case and by scope; ask when you call. Prices are subject to change because our suppliers have been very volatile with pricing lately.
Our Reviews
Why homeowners choose Perry-Pump
Fully licensed and insured. Florida Water Well Contractor License #5016.
Experienced well repair specialists. Third generation, 50+ years working North Florida wells.
Quality workmanship and straightforward customer service.
Free service call and $0 diagnostic on routine residential work.
5-year parts and labor warranty on the Pressure Package and most residential submersibles, in writing on the invoice.
Seven North Florida Conditions That Shape How We Design and Service Treatment
Working water treatment in North Central Florida means working around seven specific local conditions that do not apply the same way in other regions. These shape what we test for, what we install, and what we refer out.
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Floridan Aquifer wells dominate at 100 to 400 ft, with variable chemistry from well to well
Almost every residential well in our footprint draws from the Floridan Aquifer at 100 to 400 ft. Iron and sulfide are common but not uniform. Two wells a quarter mile apart can have completely different chemistry. That is the whole reason for the free on-site test. We quote off your numbers, not a regional default.
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Hurricane and tropical storm season (June to November) raises contamination riskKarst geology: new pathways can change water chemistry
Flooding can contaminate source water at low or older wellheads. UV disinfection is indicated after a contamination event for some properties; standalone shock chlorination is referred out to a specialist. We inspect treatment systems and UV components year round, not just after a named storm.
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Summer lightning peaks, and injection pump electronics are vulnerable
Stenner chemical-injection pumps and UV lamp ballasts run on small power supplies that nearby lightning strikes can surge and damage, same as electrical faults or age can. If a treatment system stops working, the injection pump or the UV ballast is among the first things we check. Surge protection at the wellhead reduces the risk.
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Karst geology: new pathways can change water chemistry
North Florida sits on karst limestone. Slow subsidence and occasional sinkhole activity can open new pathways for surface contaminants or change the chemistry of the source water. Periodic re-testing is a good idea, since what a treatment system was designed for at install can drift over the years.
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Iron, sulfide, and hardness: the dominant North Florida chemistry.
Most North Florida wells produce water with measurable iron (reddish staining), sulfide (rotten-egg smell), and hardness (white scaling). Many wells have at least one; a lot have all three. That is why the treatment train conversation comes up so often. Rarely is it just one thing to address.
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Flood-zone properties along Suwannee, Santa Fe, St. Marys, and Bradford/Baker rural lots
Flood-zone properties carry post-flood treatment risk - source water contaminated by surface flooding, treatment systems that need inspection or re-quote after the flood, and UV disinfection that may need a lamp replacement. We do the inspection on the system; bact testing goes to an FDOH-approved lab separately.
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Fire ants and pest pressure: injection pump enclosures need sealing, too.
Fire ants are the #1 cause of pressure-switch failure we see in our footprint. The same pest pressure goes after Stenner injection pump enclosures and any unsealed conduit at the wellhead. We use pest-blocking foam + silicone on treatment installs, same as on pressure switches.
Seven Technical Topics Where Most Treatment Installs Pick a Default
Seven places where the easy answer is not the right one. The reasoning is here.
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UV disinfection targets microbial safety. The standard target dose is around 40 mJ/cm2 for residential systems. Lamps lose intensity over time; the manufacturer's replacement interval is typically 12 months, regardless of how the lamp looks. UV does not work through turbid water. A pre-filter is required upstream. Indicated after a contamination event, in North Florida flood-prone properties, or as a peace-of-mind layer for sensitive households. Not a substitute for bact testing.
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Bacteriological testing (total coliform and E. coli) requires a sterile sample, a certified chain of custody, and a state-approved laboratory analysis. Perry-Pump is direct about not testing bacteria in-house. Buyers, Realtors, and homeowners needing bacteria results arrange that separately through an FDOH-approved lab. If you tell us you need bact, we will point you in the right direction and stay focused on what we do well.
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The right order for a residential treatment train is sediment filter first, then iron removal, then softener, then UV. Rearranging breaks the system. Sediment downstream of the iron removal clogs fast on the iron that should have been removed first. Softener downstream of UV defeats the UV. Order matters, and we design it at install based on what your water actually has.
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Chemistry varies massively well-to-well. Iron at 0.5 ppm and iron at 2.5 ppm need completely different systems. Sulfide at 0.3 ppm and sulfide at 2 ppm require completely different systems. pH below 7 changes what media will work. Hardness drives softener sizing math. None of that can be guessed from the address. It has to be tested. No cookie-cutter systems.
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Greensand needs backwash + potassium permanganate regen. It is solid for moderate iron in the right pH range. Birm is a catalyst needing dissolved oxygen and a pH above 6.8. Aeration (Pro-Ox with optional Stenner peroxide injection) handles higher loads and low pH. KDF (zinc-copper alloy) polishes low-iron water. Which one is right depends on your numbers.
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Diagnose first: source-water sulfide vs heater-bacteria. Hot-tap-only usually means the heater anode rod. That is a heater repair. Every tap means source water. Aeration tower for low sulfide with high dissolved oxygen. Stenner chlorine injection oxidizes mid-range loads and filters out downstream. Peroxide reacts faster, handles higher loads, and costs more. Concentration drives the choice.
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Grains' hardness multiplied by household gallons per day equals the grains-of-capacity needed before regeneration. Common residential sizing for typical North Florida hardiness zones falls in a standard range. Undersized softeners regenerate constantly, burn through salt, and produce inconsistent soft water. Oversized softeners regenerate rarely enough that the resin fouls. We size to your actual numbers, not a household-size default.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Call for a quote. Every quote starts with a free on-site water test. Pricing varies because the right system depends on chemistry, household demand, and the treatment combination we design. Iron, sulfide, hardness, or a combined train each lands in a different range. We walk you through the numbers after the test.
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Because chemistry varies massively well-to-well across North Florida. A 5-gpm iron system that is right for one Newberry well is wrong for the next Lake Butler well. We design around what your water actually contains: iron, hardness, pH, nitrate, sulfide. Not a regional default. No cookie-cutter systems.
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Yes. Greensand, Birm, KDF, or aeration-based systems (Pro-Ox with optional Stenner peroxide injection), depending on iron concentration and pH. The water test tells us which method fits.
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Yes. We diagnose source-water sulfide vs heater anode-rod bacteria first. A hot-tap-only smell is usually the rod, not a treatment problem. Source-water sulfide gets aeration, Stenner chlorine injection, or peroxide injection by concentration.
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Yes. Whole-house ion-exchange softeners on Clack control valves, sized to household demand and the grains-per-gallon hardness reading from the water test. Salt refills are customer-handled in most cases; we tell you the interval at installation.
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No. We are direct about that. If you specifically need a reverse osmosis under-sink drinking water system, we will refer you to a specialist who focuses on RO. Our scope is whole-house treatment: iron, sulfide, hardness, UV.
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No. Bact testing requires a sterile sample, a certified chain of custody, and a state-approved lab. Buyers, Realtors, and homeowners arrange that separately through an FDOH-approved lab. We will point you in the right direction.
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No, not as a standalone service. If you have had a contamination event (a flood, a casing breach, a positive bacteria result), we will recommend a specialist who handles shock chlorination. Our treatment-install scope picks up after that work is done.
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17 communities: Gainesville (HQ), Lake Butler, Lake City, Alachua, Newberry, High Springs, Starke, Keystone Heights, Branford, Trenton, Waldo, Hawthorne, Glen Saint Mary, Bell, Brooker, Raiford, and Melrose. Not sure if we serve your community? Call (352) 320-2412, and we will tell you straight.
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Yes, through Wisetack on larger combined treatment + filter packages. Application takes minutes, terms shown before you sign. For a standalone, smaller installation, we usually do not push financing; for combined treatment + filter, where the total runs higher, it is a real option.
Ready to Find Out What's Actually in Your Water? Call Perry-Pump Today.
Whether your laundry is staining, your hot tap smells off, or your fixtures are crusted with scale, call (352) 320-2412, and we will schedule the free on-site water test. The quote follows the numbers. Routine residential has no service call fee, no diagnostic charge, and we will tell you straight if the answer is a heater repair instead of a treatment install.