Sand, grit and cloudiness
Why is there sand in my well water?
Fine sand and turbidity from unconsolidated aquifers destroys softener resin, blocks UV and wears out pump seals.
How you notice it
- Grit in aerators, toilet tanks and the bottom of glasses
- Cloudy water that clears when left standing
- Cartridge filters plugging monthly
Why it happens
Sand-and-gravel and alluvial aquifers, or a screen and pump combination pulling more than the formation can deliver cleanly.
The fix
- Flushable spin-down prefilter as the first stage
- Backwashing turbidity filter where cartridges plug monthly
- Have the driller check screen condition and pump setting depth
Equipment that solves it
Recommendations are generated from Canadian regional well records. Links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

iSpring WSP-50 Reusable Spin-Down Sediment Filter (50 Micron)
Flushable 50-micron stainless steel screen that catches sand and grit before it reaches softener resin.
$20/yr consumables · budget
Shop this stage
SpringWell Whole-House Spin-Down Sediment Filter
Self-cleaning heavy-duty filtration for silty sand-and-gravel wells that plug cartridges monthly.
No annual consumables · standard
Shop this stageWhere this is common in Canada
Regions whose modelled groundwater matches this problem.
Get a sized plan, not a guess
The builder combines your region's hardness, aquifer and depth data with your household size to size every stage and total the cost.
Build my system