You cannot judge the safety of well water from just the physical look. Yes, it may look clean but you never know the contents in terms of macronutrients that may cause health issues when you drink or use it to make Tamale. The underlying rock that the well water originates from has a say on the safety of the water. Some of the rocks may have chemicals and metals that can even change the taste of the Mexican dish. You cannot underrate water pollution that may find its way to the water well. It is therefore important to treat well water before you make your tasty tamale. Nothing is disgusting like having an appetite for Tamale and you take your sweet time to prepare it only to get a funny taste just because of your ignorance on the safety of well water. The best well water filter for families is one that has undergone tests and treated in case of microbes then finally given a clean bill of health on its consumption.
How then can you know is the well water is safe for preparing Tamale?
Location
Normally when well waters are constructed there are many factors they put into consideration. First is that they must be parallel to a sewer-like or a toilet (pit latrines). This is an underground natural tank and the soil can easily sip its way to the well to contaminate it. The fact that you are not sick yet you have been using the well for some time does not mean its safe. You may be accumulating parasites and microorganisms that may affect you at old age. In most cases such illnesses are irreversible.
The source of water
Where is the water coming from, is it an underground slippage or it comes from a high altitude area. If that is the case, are there any health risks that might come in contact with the water that may make it unsafe. There are times you just have to use common sense before you even taste the water on its safety.
Maintenance
How often do you treat or test the well water to prove its safety? The well water might have been given a clean bill of health many years ago; are the environmental conditions the same? Definitely, with population increase and pressure on land, this is not the case. Make sure you have a quarterly well water check or when there is a major activity in the area.
Mode of construction
The water itself may be safe but the challenge comes when there is contact that may contaminate the water. If there is not, then there is no cause for alarm. In case the well water is sealed and it is just the source that drains water from it is also safe then, you are free to use the water to cook your Tamale.
Human and animal activities around the area
Water pollution is a result of various human activities which include industrial waste management. In case you have such activities around the well water then unless you test the water. The water is unsafe for domestic use.
Although people think that when you cook you kill the bacteria and parasites in the water; as much as that may be the case, this is not the only risks involved in water safety. There is also the presence of heavy metals like Mercury, Lead, and Magnesium that have adverse health effects. Their presence cannot be removed even by boiling at extreme temperatures. Instead, it even breaks them into smaller molecules that are easily absorbed in the body.