Tips on Effective Well Sanitization

When you have a well, you need to protect it in order to keep your water safe. Knowing how to effectively perform water well sanitization is imperative in protecting against contamination. Sanitizing or disinfecting your water well should also be done after possible contamination has occurred. A&T Wells and Pumps provides well sanitization services so you can ensure the safety and health of your family and those who use the water.

When You Should Sanitize Your Well

Any time you think bacteria or chemicals could have entered your water system is when you need to practice well sanitization. Whether you have an existing well or a new well, it's important to sanitize your well twice a year. Here are other situations where sanitizing your well in necessary:

• When your well has been shut off for any reason such as repairing or servicing
• If you are experiencing a loss in water pressure 
• If your well casing has been under water due to flooding 
• When you have experienced flooding 
• When your water appears brown or yellow after heavy rains
• If you are experiencing changes in water color or taste

These are all opportunities for bacteria to enter the water system and contaminate the drinking water.

How Does a Well Become Contaminated?

A well can become contaminated with bacteria in several ways. When there are several wells on the same water aquifer, there are multiple opportunities for contamination. Insects and rodents can get inside and contaminate the aquifer if a cap on one of the wells is missing or cracked. When an aquifer gets contaminated, all of the wells that share that aquifer can become contaminated as well.

The age of the well can be a factor in contamination of the water aquifer. Old well casings can crack and the connections for the water line can also crack or separate, leading to ground contaminants getting into the well water. If there is a septic system with a crack in the tank or the line, the water can flow towards the well and contaminate the water. Wells should always be at least 50 feet from the septic system in order to prevent bacteria from getting to the well water.

Test Your Well 

Be sure to test your well water when you suspect the water has been contaminated. There are a couple of options for performing tests on your well. Many county health departments can help you test for bacteria and nitrates. In addition, a company in the well water treatment business like A&T Wells can perform testing. Water is collected from the pressure tank or a sample port. It’s important to not only check for bacteria but also nitrates that can be introduced from fertilizers. 

If you get a positive result above a certain number, it means that your well could contain harmful bacteria. In this case, you should implement well sanitization and then get another sample. If the second sample shows a bad number, there can be an issue with the well that an experienced water well contractor needs to troubleshoot. The contractor will evaluate the condition of the well.

Sanitizing Your Well

There are quite a few steps involved in sanitizing your water well. Certain measurements for the amount of water in the well require specific amounts of disinfectants. It’s important to determine the following at the outset of the sanitization:

• volume of water per foot for the well
• depth of water in the well
• total gallons of water in the well
• volume of water in the distribution system
• water contained in the entire system
• amount of chlorine product required for a 100-ppm solution

Because of the detailed nature of sanitizing your well, we recommend calling an experienced well contractor who can help you!

Call Us For Well Sanitation Services in Raleigh!

If you are on a regular sanitizing schedule, or if you suspect that your water well is contaminated, call A&T Well and Pumps today! Our professional, experienced team will do a superb job for you. Call us at 919-291-4063 or complete the contact form below.