To disinfect your well and eliminate the bacteria, you should chlorinate the well. You can hire a company that services wells to do the chlorinating. The cost ranges from $80 – $200.
Cost of the shocking well range between $60 to $100. The cast varies depending on where you live. Do yourself method will reduce the expense significantly. You need Chlorine, 10 gallons bucket, and safety gear.
How long will shocking a well last?
A recent Penn State study of wells contaminated by coliform bacteria found that shock chlorination and installation of a sanitary well cap successfully removed the bacteria for one year in 15 percent of the wells.
Is shocking a well Necessary?
Shock chlorination is a method of disinfecting a water well. It is recommended when a water system is contaminated with bacteria. Contamination can occur when the well is installed, when repairs are made to the pump or plumbing, or when rainfall runoff enters the well.
How often should you shock your well water?
Homeowners with private wells should have their well water tested every 3 to 5 years for some contaminants, including bacteria. If these tests turn up positive for bacteria, chlorinating the well may be a way to resolve the problem.
What happens when you shock a well?
To shock chlorinate, you add a concentrated chlorine solution to the water in the well casing (material that supports the sides of the well). Some of this water will move outside the well and into the aquifer. Then you flush the chlorinated water through the system and let it sit for a certain amount of time.
Can you shock your own well?
Mix 2 quarts bleach in 10 gallons of water; pour into well. Connect a garden hose to a nearby faucet and wash down the inside of the well. Open each faucet and let the water run until a strong chlorine odor is detected, then turn it off and go to the next one.
When can you drink water after shocking well?
Wait one to two weeks after shock chlorinating the water supply system to retest for total coliform and E. coli bacteria. Follow sample collection instructions carefully. If the test results show the absence of coliform bacteria, the water is safe to drink.
How long does water stay brown after shock?
The chlorine used to shock the well reacts with iron, manganese and reducing bacteria in the well and it is pulled into the water chlorine solution. That is the brown you see. Flushing the well by running the hoses for at least 12 hours or upto several day will clear up the problem.
How do you shock a residential well?
Overview. Use ordinary liquid laundry bleach to shock chlorinate the water system. Determine how much bleach to use, then pour the bleach down the well and circulate it through the whole water distribution system. Wait 6-12 hours for the chlorine to work, then flush the chlorinated water from your well and pipes.
Should well water be chlorinated?
Well water doesn’t go through a water treatment plant like municipal water. That means it might contain contaminants like volatile organic compounds, coliform bacteria, lead, and other toxins. Municipal sources disinfect their water with chlorine, so you need well water chlorination to fill that role.
How much bleach does it take to dump a well?
4) Work out how much bleach will be needed: For every 50 gallons of water in the well use one quart of laundry bleach – (4 quarts in a gallon). Do not use excessive amounts of bleach – more is not more effective. 5) For best results the bleach should be combined with water before adding it to the well.
Should I pour bleach in my well?
Bleach should not be put into the well straight from the bottle. The general recommendation is to dilute the laundry bleach 1:100, (one gallon of bleach to 100 gallons or water; half a gallon of bleach to 50 gallons of water; a quart of bleach to 25 gallons of water.)
Can you use pool shock in a well?
Chlorine granules, tablets and liquid chlorine in the form of household bleach can all be used to disinfect your well. Don’t use stabilized swimming pool chlorine products or non-chlorinated “pool shock” products, as they are not effective enough to clean your drinking water.
How long does it take to flush chlorine out of well?
Monitor the process, it can take 30 minutes to 24 hours or more to flush all of the bleach solution from the well. Use chlorine test papers to verify that the water coming from the outside faucet or yard hydrant is clear of any bleach solution. Flush the chlorinated water from water heaters.
How do you treat a deep well water?
Pour 3 pints of bleach into your well for every 100 gallons of water and add 3 extra pints to treat the household plumbing such as the pressure tank, hot water heater and pipes.
When should I shock my well?
When should I shock chlorinate my well? Wells should be shock chlorinated when a well water sample result shows that there is bacteria in the water. Any time a well is opened for repair it must be disinfected. Newly-built wells should also be shock chlorinated following construction.
