well water treatment? Please help.

**Daisy** · 03-17-2007, 07:02 PM

When I installed my new pump and pressure tank I noticed that the old pump was totally clogged with bacterial iron. I put some bleach into the well and it cleared up for about 10 days. I also have a septic tank. My question is-- Is there anything that can treat the water in the well that is safe for a septic tank?

**sammyhydro11** · 03-17-2007, 07:37 PM

The first step is get a full chemical analysis of the water.Usualy to properly treat iron bacteria you need a chemical feed chlorinator,carbon backwash filter,and a water softener. The size of the unit will be determined by your analysis.

SAM

**leejosepho** · 03-18-2007, 05:09 AM

Originally Posted by sammyhydro11

The first step is get a full chemical analysis of the water.

Where and how is the best place or way to do that? A nearby water-softener salesman seems pretty sharp, but is he likely to have the necessary resources?

**Raucina** · 03-18-2007, 05:40 AM

Rather than deal with filters, I periodically super chlorinate my iron infested well and make sure all portions of the piping sit filled with the solution for several hours. I also make sure water is being pumped back into the well so that areas above water line are also treated. You can usually find an unused hole in the well cap - or make one, or raise it a few inches if plumbing permits.

You have to go the whole route to get a lasting cure-a gallon down the hole is not going to help.

Septic tanks take some chlorine without any problems, the bacterial load is so high that its almost impossible to disturb it. Dont waste any money on the
useless septic "pumper-plumber in a bottle" snake oil either.

**sammyhydro11** · 03-18-2007, 05:54 AM

I would get it tested by a local certified lab and not by a salesman.You need to take the analysis before any water filters or treatment system. The periodic well chlorination can work to kill the iron bacteria but wont get rid of the iron. Most people don't want to have to pour bleach down there well every so often and want something that is going to work automatically.

SAM

**Daisy** · 03-18-2007, 02:21 PM

Since I have a limited budget, what should all of this cost? including test, and the necessary equipment. My well is 90' deep with one person using it. Right now I have bottled drinking water delivered since the well water makes me sick.

**Daisy** · 03-23-2007, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by sammyhydro11

The first step is get a full chemical analysis of the water.Usualy to properly treat iron bacteria you need a chemical feed chlorinator,carbon backwash filter,and a water softener. The size of the unit will be determined by your analysis.

SAM

I have been told by my County water lab that they do not do the kind of analysis that I need and that it will cost appr. $500.00 to have it done by someone else. After a long conversation with them they say that it sounds as if I have Giardia in the well which is very difficult to get rid of. This sounds very pricey to me.

**leejosepho** · 03-23-2007, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by Daisy

I have been told by my County water lab ... that it sounds as if I have Giardia in the well ...

Here is one possibility I just found:

http://www.home-water-purifiers-and-...om/giardia.php

**Flat Panel** · 03-24-2007, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by Daisy

..... and that it will cost appr. $500.00 to have it done by someone else. .....This sounds very pricey to me.

That sounds like a normal price for an extensive water test. They test for all kinds of contaminants that you wouldn't think of, but it is well worth it to know what is in your water....at least when the water sample was taken.

**Gary Slusser** · 03-24-2007, 07:22 AM

Only labs think $500 is OK for a water test....

Daisy, all Class A UV lights treat Giardia cysts. There are class A and B UV lights. Class A cost more but for a say 2.5 bathroom house, you don't need mre than a 15 gpm, so the price is up $750 delivered depending on any options like an intensity monitor but including a prefilter housing, flow control etc..

**sammyhydro11** · 03-24-2007, 07:55 AM

I think that this water testing thing is being blown out of proportion.The question you have to ask is what is the reason for the extensive water testing? There are thousands of different things you can test for. Its obvious when you have iron bacteria in your well. What is the reason why you are going to test for giardia?? Is someone getting sick after drinking the water? I think its a waist of money unless you have reason to test for it. If someone came to me with asking for advice with an iron bacteria problem and i told them to test for giardia, i think theire first question would be,why? The right approach would be to do a standard analysis wich would include ecoli and coliform. If the test comes back positive for those bacterias then there might be a reason to test for giardia.Even then when those bacterias are killed by chlorinating the well the problem is resolved. If the lab is telling you that the substance that is plugging up the pump is giardia,then that well needs to be decommissioned until the source has been found and resolved because you have a serious waste problem.I cant believe that they are just assuming that you have giardia in the water without any testing. Id say go to a different lab and a do standard analysis which would include a bacteria test,find out your iron level,ph,hardness,tds,etc.

SAM

**leejosepho** · 03-24-2007, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by sammyhydro11

What is the reason why you are going to test for giardia?? Is someone getting sick after drinking the water?

Originally Posted by Daisy

Right now I have bottled drinking water delivered since the well water makes me sick ...

I have been told by my County water lab that they do not do the kind of analysis that I need ...
After a long conversation with them they say that it sounds as if I have Giardia in the well ...

Ultimately being helpful to others first requires paying attention as we go along.

**Gary Slusser** · 03-19-2007, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by Daisy

When I installed my new pump and pressure tank I noticed that the old pump was totally clogged with bacterial iron. I put some bleach into the well and it cleared up for about 10 days. I also have a septic tank. My question is-- Is there anything that can treat the water in the well that is safe for a septic tank?

The short answer is yes, a chlorine pellet dropper can be installed on the well. The down side in chlorinating a well can cause problems with the pump, cable and drop pipe and cause water quality problems. That applies to shocking a well or constant chlorination.

Any water treatment dealer, pump guy, well driller, lab, pump or plumbing supply houses or the county folks can test water. There is no need for any of them to lie to you about what and how much of it is in your water, you already know the water has problems.

What you need to know is all the choices you have in what type of equipment will successfully treat the problem. To treat any type of reducing bacteria, like IRB, you need a disinfectant. They are chlorine, three types of equipment are used for chlorine, or hydrogen peroxide although it doesn't work very well for that type of bacteria problems and requires a solution feeder, or ozone which is generated on site and very expensive.

All those types of treatment require a proper retention and a turbidity filter. How you introduce the disinfectant varies; solution feeders require a lot of baby sitting, well casing mounted droppers stand on top the well about 3' high, inline erosion pellet chlorinators install in your plumbing past the pressure tank and are my choice because they are compact, take up no floor space, are inexpensive, have no moving parts and don't need electric and you don't have to mix any solutions or have an ozone generator or air dryer and their expense.

If you shock a well for IRB or other bacteria, that is at best a temporary 'fix' because the bacteria re-enters the well with the recovery water and recontaminates the well and pump etc..

All systems above can use a special carbon filter to remove the chlorine etc. from the water so you do not have the smell or taste of it in the water and thereby the septic system is not bothered by the disinfectant.

**leejosepho** · 03-19-2007, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by Gary Slusser

To treat any type of reducing bacteria, like IRB, you need a disinfectant ... or ozone which is generated on site and very expensive.

So then, and with the matter of cost aside for the moment, ozone would be the only way to keep the water in my well free of bacteria without doing any damage to any of the mechanical components of the well?

**leejosepho** · 03-21-2007, 02:00 AM

Here is something I just found:

www.berrysystemsinc.com/products/halovac.html

Overall, this company claims its system will eliminate/control bacteria within a well as well as to eliminate/reduce slime and scale buildup. If this system does not have any drawbacks similar to those of chlorine injectors, maybe this is the solution here ...