Well Disinfection

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Does anyone know how to disinfect a well with bleach? I did it a few years ago and can't remember how (good memory; just short). Do I by-pass the softener? How many gallons of bleach? As I recall the point is to get the bleach down the well casing then pull it up into all the pipes in the house. How long should it sit? I would be thankful for any help. stay the course and keep the faith tom

-- Tom (wysfarm@raex.com), December 14, 2001

Answers

You can either pour three gallons of bleach down the well casing or use several swimming pool tablets - finely crushed up first. If possible, bypass the water softener initially. Circulate the water from the bottom to the top of the casing by using a garden hose. You should have a very noticeable chorine odor. Do this for maybe an hour, trying to wet down all of the insides of the casing. Now shut off the garden hose and let the water flow through every outlet inside and outside the house. When it comes out of the faucet with a heavy clorine odor, shut off that faucet. Be sure to flush the commodes a couple of times also and run water into the washing machine. Let sit, preferably overnight. To clear the well water of chorine, let a hose run someplace where you are not concerned about the chorine possibly killing grass or other plants. Let run until all chorine odor is gone. Shut off hose and not do each faucet in the house one at a time.

If your refrigerator has an automatic ice maker, you may want to shut it off for several days.

If you are doing this to pass a health dept. inspection, the first thing they will test for is excess chorine in the water before even taking a sample.

If the source of your water is contaminated, this may be just a temporary measure. For example, run-off from a dairy goes into a sink hole, which is connected to your underground stream.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), December 14, 2001.


Ken, really no problem I know of. Just like to do this every few years. I don't remember why..someone told me its a good idea. We get a little sulphur smell to the water and this seems to help. thanks for the memory refresh

tom

-- Tom (wysfarm@raex.com), December 14, 2001.


I thought we would need to disinfect ours every year???

Does anyone know for sure?

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), December 14, 2001.


I was just about to ask the same thing Tom, I got a letter in the mail at work today from county health dept. stating that the water samples from there came back bad and they want me to cholriate the well and retest. Did'nt have a clue.

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), December 14, 2001.

send a sample to a lab to be checked.I would think you would only need to flush the well if it came back bad. We had to a few years ago and it was not fun,we used the pool tabs and let them soak in for a few hours then ran the water in the house,flushed all the toilet,and ran the hot water heater,, let the water sit in the pipes for 24 hrs then started to flush it all out. we bought a timer and would run the well for 3 hrs pff for 3 then on again,took 3 days to get the water clean.I would say skip it unless there is a problem.

-- renee o'neill (oneillsr@home.com), December 14, 2001.


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