How to treat my well water?

Hello,
I'm new to this forum and have never used a forum before. However I have some questions pertaining to my well water.

I'll start by letting you know that in 1999 we had our well drilled down to 385ft and it was producing approx 60 gpm. After the well was drilled we chlorinated and flushed it out then took a raw water sample down to a local lab for testing. The water test came back stating that the water contained 193 mg/l of hardness so we installed a water softener that provided us with soft water up til July, 2010 when we started to experience air coming out of our faucets. We called a local service company and they determined that static water level was being drawn down to the well pump causing the pump to draw air into the line. This is a big problem since we also use our well to heat/cool via geothermal. Immediately we called a well drilling company and had our well drilled down to 1100ft. We then installed a 4" shroud down the well and upgraded our well pump to a 5H with 3 phase 120/208 VFD (setting it down the well at 300ft). Again we chlorinated/flushed out the well out the well and in March of 2011 we brought a water sample down to our local lab to be tested since we were noticing brown staining. The test results came back with the following: Iron 4.49 mg/l, Manganese 0.163 mg/l, Chloride 168 mg/l, Sodium 45 mg/l, Hardness 245 mg/l and PH 7.2 S.U. and they advised that we should look into getting an Iron filter and a water softener. I called a our local kinetico dealer, they came out and recommended to install a dual tank Iron filter to go with our current water softener in which we did. The water was finally crystal clear, so we thought. Last month I noticed some blueish green staining in my wife's sink, I thought it was just mouth wash until I filled up the whirlpool tub and noticed the blueish green tropical water. Again I took another raw water sample down to the local lab and the results are as follows: Iron 0.193 mg/l, Manganese 0.697 mg/l, Chloride 168 mg/l, Sodium 70 mg/l, Hardness 197 mg/l and PH 5.97 S.U., Nitrate Nitrogen <1.0, E Coli Absent, Total Coliform Absent, Arsenic <0.002, Fluoride <0.20, Conductivity 940 umho/cm, Alkalinity 52 mg/l, Lead 0.005 mg/l, Copper 0.005 mg/l, Uranium <1, and Radon 650 pci/l. They also did a PH test of the water in 1 hour increments and each time the PH rose over a 4 hour period from 5.97 to 7.2 and stated that we Carbon Dioxide gas in the water causing the low PH. They also told us that the acidic water is etching the copper and causing the blueish/green staining and eventually the pipes will start leaking if we do not take care of the low PH. Another call was made to our local Kinetico dealer and there recommendation is to install an up flow neutralizer after the Iron filter, then install a new dual tank water softener and install a K5 filter system for drinking water at the kitchen sink and the refrigerator. There cost installed approx $8k. I'm not in the water filtration business and would like to know if this is the right approach to take and if they are over charging us for the system?

It's odd to see water change so drastically but the fact is that your water can change at any given time and you have to roll with the punches so to speak. It's unfortunate that they had to keep coming out and installing more equipment but you can rest assured that what they installed will do the job. I don't hink it's way out of line as far as what you paid goes. We'll call it "in the ballpark". You can always get cheaper...but there is a cost to low price and by teh time you find out what it is it's generally too late.

I realize that cheaper isn't always better... However I would like to know if aerating the water to release the carbon dioxide gas and in return will raise the ph level back up to 7.2 mg/l is the way to go instead of an acid nuetralizer?

Typically, in my area when we have iron we use an acid neutralizer (cuz low PH usually comes with it here) and it works as an iron filter as well as PH correction. Now, that's HERE. If you have a dealer in your area that has dealt with your issue and has installed this system as a way to correct it and knows it works then I won't step on his toes and say "well that's not how I'd do it" because there's always more than one way to handle any given issue with water. Generally speaking that is.