Water Treatment System

[DrRod]

Greetings,

We put a well in at our cabin a few years ago (replacing a 50-year-old spring fed gravity system) and now find that it has a high level of bacteria. Some of it really bad bacteria, plus it smells like sulphur. We thought it was from coal or some mineral but the tests show its from sulphur producing bacteria.

I've had the Culligan Man out and he can fix it but... and he's the big but... we turn the power off in the winter and the system could freeze even though its in the basement (dirt and stone). Culligan Man says that's not OK.

So can anyone recommend a water treatment system that can be drained or left to freeze periodically?

Thanks,

Rod

 

[GaryQWA]

Yes you must protect any equipment from freezing and an unheated basement probalby won't do that.

You must kill the bateria. Caron alone is out because bacteria love to live in carbon due to the organics it provides them to feed on. Carbon will be colonized by bacteria and you'll be replacing it very frequently while the odor gets stronger.

Sulfate reducing bacteria is not harmful to humans... They cause H2S (sulfur) odor. I suggest an inline erosion pellet chlorinator to kill the bacteria and oxidize any iron, manganese and H2S etc. with the use of a drainable special mixing /retention tank followed by a Centaur carbon filter to remove the chlorine and clarify the water. You can find them with a search for ""inline pellet chlorinator" with the "". You can drain the chlorinator and mixing tank and syphon the carbon filter and leave the tank open which will prevent freeze damage.

Gary Slusser

 

[DrRod]

Thanks -- I'd never heard of those options so this gives me something to check out. Much appreciated.

Rod

 

[gsxr1100]

Can also use UV light.

 

[MarkLeininger]

We also have a problem with sulfur but I'm able to keep it under control by purging the pressure tank a couple times a year. If you have a bladder tank this won't work, but if you have a galvanized tank that has air in direct contact with the water, then it might work for you. If you let stinky water sit on the counter for awhile it loses the stink because the sulfur goes out of solution. The same thing happens in the pressure tank if the water is in contact with air. Depending on how big your tank is, how much water you use and how bad the sulfur problem is, this might work. If you have a galvanized tank you can try it for free to see if it works.

This obviously won't address your "bad" bacteria problem, which I'd get fixed before worrying about the sulfur. Have you tried chlorinating the well?

My buddy has a water softener in his cabin basement; he plugs in a heater tape that's wrapped around the pipes and resin tank when he turns the water off in the winter.

 

[GaryQWA]

The use of UV to control reducing type bacteria problems won't remove the odor problem in the water. And it can cause increased odor.

Gary Slusser

 

[heehaw]

i'm located in central arkansas: have a 8x8 well house, no form of heat and have a fiberglass sand filter, about 5ft by 2ft by 3.5 ft tall: plus a chlorinator, and water softener: none of it has ever froze: and we have had temps down to the single digits for a couple days at a time..the sand filter sprays the water into a fine mist, which gets rid of the odor: then the sand and gravel filter out the iron, and the chlorinator is suppose to be taking care of bacteria?? i guess what i am suggesting is put up a couple walls around the filter system and insulate the heck out of it..
heehaw

 

[ByronBob]

Where are you located. This is why we ask many people here to fill in your profile. Could you try dropping a few chlorine pellets down the well head as necessary? Thats the cheapest idea I have. 1 3" pellet might help.

 

[DrRod]

I'm in southern PA and we are in a hard freeze through most of the winter.

I've thought of the chlorine in the well thing but it doesn't seem like a total solution -- it won't cure the other problems and seems a bit of a nagging responsibility. I'd like to get something that works on its own. Aooreciate the commets.

 

[GaryQWA]

Obviously that would be a pool puck (maybe a toilet tank type too I guess!), and you really don't want to use pool chlorine in a potable water well. It is a different type of chlorine than used for potable water treament and can be dangerous to your health. Plus it will or is capable of eating holes through any metal it lays on or is in contact with like drop pipe and pumps etc.. A puck may take days to a week plus to totally dissolve. Pool chlorine has an additive to IIRC protect it from sun and dissipation.

Gary Slusser

 

[GaryQWA]

But heehaw, you are there to run water which is a heat source and he won't be. And no matter how much insulation, without a heat source, water will freeze if it gets cold enough and stays below freezing long enough; like in a cabin. He probably doesn't have a dirt floor or a basement. If he did I'd try insulation if it were mine but I'd never advise a customer to attempt it.

Gary Slusser

 

[heehaw]

we hooked up to the rural water system last august, because we installed a pool, and didn't like the idea of trying to filter iron out of that much water: so the 8x8 pump house had no water run thru it last winter: and nothing froze: at least none of the pvc pipes broke, so i "assume" they didn't freeze! looks like the cheapest alternative would be to leave the electricity on and get some of those thermostatic recept. from lowes, they will turn on a heater at about 38degrees.
heehaw

 

[Tevi]

Try looking into an Eco Quest Springhouse system

 

[DrRod]

Thanks for the tip -- I've started doing some research on the EcoQuest line and this might be the answer.

As for the basement -- it has one stone wall and the rest is dirt. We have vents in the basement windows to keep air moving through all the time so as to prevent moisture buildup and rot -- a real problem in the past. Its rare to get a hard freeze in the basement but it does happen. And a bigger problem is ice build-up in the pipes coming up from the basement. We drain everything after each visit in the winter but the pipes running along the outside wall up into the kitchen can get a blockage until the building heats up a little. Ahh, the joys of county living. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Tevi]

Insulate your pipes