If live in a rural area and your water supply comes from a well, you might think that you're protected from pollutants, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, well water pollution is one of the major reasons for illness, because the water can be contaminated from nearby farms through such things as animal excrement or fertilizer runoff. Therefore, it's likely that you need well water filtration systems to make sure that you have the cleanest and vast drinking water possible.

Here are three things you should know about well water filtration systems:

They're not all the same

Some water filtration systems are meant to filter out relatively large particulates. This is probably okay if you live in the city where your own city has its own filtration system in place, so that you may just need to refine drinking water for chlorine taste or to make it more palatable.

However, if you live in the country, you'll likely need something a little more involved. First, get your water tested to see what contaminants it has in it.

Reverse osmosis can be done if the water is particularly bad or if it has cysts, which are parasites that cause problems especially in people with fragile immune systems. In addition, lead content will be reduced by 99% or better. This may be what you need if you live near farms where fertilizer or animal waste runoff is a problem. In addition, to further purify water, you may want to consider ion exchange filtration to balance mineral content and normalize the pH level.

Whole house, or point of use filtration?

If your water is very bad, you may want to consider whole house filtration. This is especially useful if, for example, your water has a high iron or rust content in addition to other difficulties. Having high iron or rust in the water can make hair and clothes take on an unpleasant color, and these things can also be absorbed through the skin in the shower.

However, if your situation is such that your water only needs to be filtered for drinking and cooking, you can install "point of use" filters at your kitchen sink and in your refrigerators water and ice dispensers, as applicable. Whole house filtration will be much more expensive, but it can be considered to offset the expense of having clothes and hair ruined with rust or iron laden water, or the illness that might happen if you are absorbing contaminants through your skin.

Should you rent, or should you own your water filtration system?

This is a good question, since many companies will simply charge you a monthly service fee to come out and replace filters for free and to service your unit when it needs to be. Depending on where you live, this may be more cost-effective than owning your unit and having to pay for repairs and filter replacement yourself. Check online to see which companies offer the best price and service -- but don't assume that buying is always better than renting. In fact, renting may be the better deal overall.