New Well Question

[PaulieD]

We had a well drilled recently (80' deep) and had the water tested at a local lab. The tests came back showing coliform and e-coli. I shocked the well with chlorine following directions provided by a couple of different internet sites. The latest, post shock treatment, test still showed coliform (no e-coli at least). I am now about to re-shock the well in hopes the second time will be the charm.

I'd be interested in feedback and opinions of other well owners. Is a second shock treatment normally required? What's my chances of resolving this coliform problem?

Thanks,

Paul

 

[DiskDoctr]

I posted some water and well treatment sites (info and filters) in this post Well treatment costs

Specifically, look for the UV filter at Ohio Pure Water Co. (Good prices) That's what I've used in my last two houses now. There is also a site on shocking a well. Shocking is temporary and has to be repeated regularly. UV is a "permanent" solution, just don't forget to change the bulb from time to time.

Hope this helps.

-JC

 

[Egon]

What type and source is your acquifier.

If coliforms present the water will require constant treatment with a proper system For this it is best to get proffessional help.

Egon

 

[Junkman]

Before you go spending a lot of money, more information is needed. Is there a pump already working in this well? If there is, I suggest that you insert 3 pounds of swimming pool chlorine powder into the well and then start the pump. Put a hose into the top of the well and circulate the water through the pump, holding tank, and back into the well for a couple of hours. I would make sure that the hose washes the side walls of the well completely with the chlorinated mixture. This will disinfect the casing surfaces. Once the chlorine is totally dissolved in the well, you can just let it set for a while, if you are not occupying the home. If you are occupying the home, don't drink the water, and if you shower, you will smell like bleach, your skins oils will be completely washed off and you might just have a change of hair color. Other than that, I don't see any other adverse situations arising. You can also pump out the chlorine mixture, but this will take a long time to totally dissipate. If you have the luxury of not using the well for a month or so, it is best left undisturbed.
As for the UV sterilizers, they also are a effective way to clear problems from your water, but there is a down side to them. It is the expense of the bulbs. I don't know if the life span has been increased, but when we were using them for sterilization of the aquariums, it required the replacement of the bulbs every 9 months. Also the same was required for the dog kennels to keep air born bacteria down to acceptable levels. There is also a specific amount of time that the UV rays must be in contact with the water to be totally effective. For our store unit of 1500 gallons, it took 4 3' UV bulbs to accomplish this. I just don't know exactly what the ratio of light contact to the drinking water would be. All this needs to be taken into consideration before making any decisions of water purification. If you are lucky, the above described method of disinfection will work and resolve all the problems. What might work in one region, might not work well in another. I am certain that by this time tomorrow, you will have more replies with differing opinions than you might want to deal with. This is a simple question with a myriad of answers. Read them all and decide which you think have the most merit for your situation and follow it. Other than spending a lot of money, you need to have professional guidance as to water quality before you start this quest for equipment and resolution to the problem........ Have you considered bottled drinking water..... it is only $2.00 for a 12 oz. bottle..... You might also consider milk..... it is less costly and better for your complexion and your health.... Don't believe me, ask Cleopatra /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DiskDoctr]

Junkman,

FYI. I think my UV unit is 8gpm. It's a regular filter that is designed for light exposure for the rated flow. Bulbs recommended changed once per year at about $25-$50/ea, depending upon model.

In the water softener in the other house, I spent more than that on salt /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

What I worry about with shocking is that it isn't continuous. A combination of both was best for us. Shocking kept it under control and the UV caught anything getting through. Here, UV alone on the spring water is sufficient. We treat sediment ahead of it.

Oh, one note: If you have sediment or other things in the water, treat it upline from the UV filter, as these things can interfere with the UV exposure/treatment.

-JC

 

[PaulieD]

Thanks for the help gentlemen.

DiskDoctr, I checked out the WEBSite you suggested. The advice on shock treatment provided information consistent with what I pulled off a couple of other sites. I also like the UV option if I can't get the chlorine shock to work. I was afraid a continuous treatment option would be more expensive than the UV offerings.

In response to Egons question, I really don't know the type of acquifier, but I'm in the east central side of the Adirondack mountains. There's little farming, no industry, and only sporadic residential development in this part of the country. All my neighbors have wells and none of them are treating their water (except for hardness). So, I hoping I just need to do a more thorough shock job.

Which brings me to Junkman's response. I didn't circulate the water as long as you suggest nor did let it sit in the well as long as you suggest. I have the luxury of being able to let the water sit for four or five days without disturbing our lifestyle; so I plan to reshock the well tomorrow, recirculating the water through the holding tank and back into the well for two or three hours, and then let it sit for four days. I also plan to use a slightly heavier dose of chlorine.

Thanks again for the help guys.

Paul

 

[Egon]

If the well is at about the same depth as the neighbours and tests out to the same mineral content and thier wells are coliform free you may just be in luck.

Just remember coliforms are serious medical items so maintain a testing schedule.

Egon

 

[Junkman]

Coliform bacteria is introduced into the well in many ways. One of the most common is by dragging the drop pipe over the ground while installing the submersible pump. When I installed our well system, this is what I had done and the bacteria count was off the wall. It took 3 treatments to clear it totally, but that was 20 years ago and no problems ever since. Now, I know to be more carefull.... I shock heavily after any service that requires removing the drop pipe.

 

[DiskDoctr]

Junkman's right about getting topside material into your well being a problem.

Runoff water going into a well, or close enough to get into it is a common source of contamination, too. Especially when livestock is nearby. Animal waste is a major source of contamination.

BTW, pool chlorine is a good, cheap source for shocking wells. Just be careful with it, it's strong.

CAUTION: NEVER STORE CHLORINE NEAR PETROLEUMS. Oils, gasoline, brake fluid, etc into chlorine makes fires. They usually smolder for a while, then burst into flames. Burns down stores when the oil was stored above pool chlorine and one of the cans was damaged...

-JC

 

[SPIKER]

diskdoc:

I have used the pool tablets to drop one or two into the well when we get heavy rains. I do this 2 or 3 times a year or more rians depending. reason being is I have a trench I dug for outside farm type frost free spigot for hose this also attached to my barn for water in there. there was/is about 150' of trench which was dug all of them go back to within a few feet of the well pipe/casing. The trench does not go dirrectly TO the well casing but close enough, and you never know what can seep down. the trench I fear will or can make an artificial stream chanell down to the casing. We don't drink our well water anyway but wash dishes ect with it.

anyhow I wanted to say what I've been doing, it also helps out on the RUST that happens in the water too, one or two when the water yellows up will helps to keep it down. for a day or two aferwards we don't weash any dark colors just in case but you really do not SMELL any clorine. note well is 75' deep with pump set down I think about 50 soemthign. water height is about 12~25' and is cased to 28'. rust comes more from setting in the casing than from the water it's self... it does not color up if it is kept running though the system, if it sets for a week or more with out using the water out of the casing it will discolor. I'm not sure how to prevent this without pull ing & replaceing the casing with plastic??? anythoughts/?

Mark M /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[boustany]

My inspector told me a big problem was people deciding that a good place to chain the dog was to the well pipe. That meant that Rover throughly fertilized the area around the well. You can guess the rest.

I'm telling you there is no limit to how dumb some people are.

For my 2 cents, regarding coliform, I'd say that a 30 foot well seems a might shallow to me. Maybe it would be worth finding out the neighbours' well/coliform situation and see how deep their wells are.

For certain, make sure it get taken care of.

 

[DiskDoctr]

Mark,

Well, two things come to mind. And keep in mind, I am not an expert, but I'll gladly share my experience and whatever I know...

Iron can stay in the water when flowing. It will settle out after sitting, but seldom settles like sediment, just "comes out". Chlorine brings dissolved iron out of solution, so shocking it makes it easy to filter, but brings out the hidden red stuff.

If your casing is rusted, not much to do. You can probably stop the rust from getting any worse by using a sacrificial rod. You put this in the ground and attach it by a wire to the top of the well casing. Make a good connection, just like for electricity.

This method was often used for buried steel fuel tanks years ago. The rod eats away, the tank remains pristine /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

There was a post on this board where Biron posted this link Galvanic Scale , which shows what metals to use to be sacrificial to which metals (in this case, find one above Steel, like Aluminum).

I was going to try the rust removal process shown here Rust removal... on a portable gas tank by hanging a sacrificial rod down the center, being sure not to touch the sides and running the battery charger. Wonder if that will help "seal" the rust out of your casing...?

Take a look at the link, and maybe some of those who posted can offer more opinions here. Let me know what they say...
Should work, though.

A water softener like a Water Boss (Lowes, about $600) with Red Out salt (softens, but made for iron) can help, if you don't mind filling it yourself with salt every few weeks and don't drain it into your septic.- Someone just mentioned using salt to kill weeds, maybe a good use for this drain water? /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Good luck with it and let us know what you do how you make out.

-JC

 

[MarkLeininger]

When I shocked my last well I discovered it full of ear wigs. After examining the well cover I discovered that there is a vent that was just a small opening from the inside of the cap to the outside air. Any little bugs or spiders could crawl through. So I jammed it full with fine grade steel wool. The next time I pulled the cap it was clean inside.

You also didn't mention your pressure tank. You need to bleed all the air from the top of the tank so that the chlorine makes contact with the entire inside surface. I also drain the hot water tank before I run the chlorinated water through the house so it gets completely filled. Some softeners can take chlorination, some can't. If you have one check with the manufacturer.

 

[kensfarm]

Where are you getting the sample of water to send to the lab.. the contamination can be from the screen on the water faucet.. or a whole house filter. One of things the tester did when getting a water sample from the kitchen sink.. was to pull the screen & guts from the water faucet.. clean it.. spray it w/ bleach.. then ran the water some.. then took the sample. If you have a whole house water filter.. I take the filter out.. fill the container w/ bleach.. send it through the lines of the house.

 

[MarkLeininger]

I take it from an outdoor faucet and flame the fixture with a torch first to kill bacteria.

 

[Junkman]

I suggest the tub faucet or take the sample from the toilet tank. This is what my water testing company told me to do. I questioned the toilet tank and they said that there is no contamination worry from the bowl to the tank. They must know, because after I started to use them, I always used the tank water and it has been clear of any bacteria after the wells initial treatment.

 

[polecat]

Hey Guys!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Back on 4 a few anyway!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Being a marimechanic on and off since i was a kid and workin at a few boatyards in my time i would like to make a couple of quick observations...to use a sacrificial anode on steel uwould have to use an element/below the one trying to be saved....ie: boats use zinc sacrificial anodes to save aluminum castings such as outdrives....so to save the corrosion on a steel pipe you would probably use the same...
aluminum is actually as properly stated above steel on the anodic chart and would not "literally sacrifice itself" for steel...gold is the highest on the anodic scale and zinc is the lowest...in terms of corrodability... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
And on draining all of the air out of yer "reservoir" tank ...
Be sure to replace it immediately after fillin it all the way with water...that bladder is what protects yer well pump from beating itself to death!!!!!LITERALLY!!!!!....it provides an air cushion that keeps the pump from hydraulically hammering the bottom of yer electric apart...it's actually caulled "pump hammering" be sure to put approx 3-5 psi less than the water pressure...and be sure that yer water psi gauge is on as far as psi!!!if you have to lmuch air psi in the bladderand your water psi goes down ...you can literally suck the bladder from its seat.....and remember to also let the air out anytime u drain the entire system /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Take care guys !!! love and miss ya'll

Todd from liddle ol maine!!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

p.s ..still have access to great wholesale on deep water well pumps.......am movin out of the farm today as he rented it so any phone messages can be taken at this #...207-685-3666
if you catch wendy just leave name and # for me to git back to!!!........... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif...tootaloo /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif