How To Disinfect Your Well Water To Kill Bacteria: Your Step-By-Step Guide
It’s important to test your well water regularly to ensure it’s safe and healthy for consumption and use by your family. So if you test your well and you find that the well water become contaminated with dangerous or harmful bacteria,
1. Calculate The Volume Of Water In Your Well & Distribution System
First, you’ll need to estimate the volume of water that’s in your well, and in your water heater, pressure tank, and other systems of your home. If you’re not sure how much water your well contains, you can use this calculator to estimate the water volume in your system.
2. Add Household Bleach To Your Well To Kill Bacteria
You’ll want to add enough household bleach to reach 100 ppm (parts per million). The precise volume of water you’ll need to use depends on the size of your well, and the type of bleach you use. If you use a bleach that contains about 5-6% sodium hypochlorite bleach, you’ll need about 4.65 cups per 100 gallons of water in your system.
Pour the bleach on every part of your well, including the casing. Use a hose to pump well water back into the well, and rinse the entire well to make sure that the bleach is evenly distributed.
3. Wait Up To 24 Hours To Disinfect The System
Do not use the water in your well for at least 3 hours. 12-24 hours is preferable. During this time, the bleach will do its job by destroying harmful pathogens and bacteria in your well water. The longer you wait, the more thoroughly your well will be cleaned and sanitized.
4. Flush Your System To Remove Chlorine
As the final step, you’ll need to flush your well to remove chlorine from the system. Open up every tap and faucet in your home and property and begin pumping the water out of the well. If possible, water from outdoor faucets should be directed to areas without vegetation, such as gravel roads.
You must continue pumping the water out of your well until the chlorine odor dissipates. Then, you may turn off your taps, and allow your well water to re-accumulate. Then, test your water to ensure it’s free of bacteria.
Reverse Osmosis Can Help You Keep Your Well Water Safe & Healthy
If you have a well that’s been contaminated in the past, a reverse osmosis (RO) system may be a great investment for your home. With a reverse osmosis system from Ising’s Culligan Water, you can ensure that your water is always safe and healthy to drink. Visit our solution center or contact us at 925-206-3727 to get started.
