Rshackleford
Member
- Messages
- 283
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 16
- Location
- Eastern Montana (The Bakken)
- Website
- www.agriindustries.com
I think that benefits of shock chlorination 2-4 times per year outweigh the negatives of chlorine treatment. I would agree that a chlorinator should be approached with caution and some water chemistry analysis.
Have you ever seen well cam picks of a well that has not be chlorinated? It is amazing. We have some great footage of a city well screen that is unrecognizable. After some chlorine and Nuwell acid we could see through the screen to the artificial gravel pack. The Nuwell was used first and the chlorine was used last as a disinfectant after our equipment contaminated the well.
On irrigation wells we are able to do a nice job of chlorination. For an average 12†x 120’ well we will use 5 pounds of chlorine pellets. We then rawhide the well. This does a great job of stirring up the water, dissolving the pellets, and moving water in and out of the formation. This can be accomplished because of the volume of water in the column pipe of the turbine pump. Finally, we are able to pump all of the chemical and bacteria out of the well at very high flow rates. It is true that in a five inch water well the effectiveness of such chlorination is not as easy to achieve. It is difficult to move enough water in and out of the formation to really get a good treatment. I guess I am agreeing that shock treatment is often done in a lazy fashion and could be more effective in many cases.
I would also like to note that rust bacteria in a well has a bit of a snowball effect. When rust begins to form on well screens it plugs off part of the screen reducing the flow area in the well. Consider Q=VA where Q is flow, V is velocity, and A is flow area. If the flow remains constant and the flow area decrease, then the velocity must increase. Rust bacteria in fact thrive and grow in high velocity area. This is the snowball effect and one of the reason I feel it is important to control the rust bacteria.
On more addition to my lengthy soliloquy. There is a danger in a bacteria rebound. This is something I am familiar with, however I need some refreshment on the subject. I believe that if the chorine kills the only the bacteria on the surface it provides a greater surface area for growth and a larger energy source for bacteria. This can actually cause a greater concentration of bacteria in the well and more problems. What I don’t remember is if a longer residence time is required or if a second application of chlorine days later is needed. Some help on this issue would be good.
Have you ever seen well cam picks of a well that has not be chlorinated? It is amazing. We have some great footage of a city well screen that is unrecognizable. After some chlorine and Nuwell acid we could see through the screen to the artificial gravel pack. The Nuwell was used first and the chlorine was used last as a disinfectant after our equipment contaminated the well.
On irrigation wells we are able to do a nice job of chlorination. For an average 12†x 120’ well we will use 5 pounds of chlorine pellets. We then rawhide the well. This does a great job of stirring up the water, dissolving the pellets, and moving water in and out of the formation. This can be accomplished because of the volume of water in the column pipe of the turbine pump. Finally, we are able to pump all of the chemical and bacteria out of the well at very high flow rates. It is true that in a five inch water well the effectiveness of such chlorination is not as easy to achieve. It is difficult to move enough water in and out of the formation to really get a good treatment. I guess I am agreeing that shock treatment is often done in a lazy fashion and could be more effective in many cases.
I would also like to note that rust bacteria in a well has a bit of a snowball effect. When rust begins to form on well screens it plugs off part of the screen reducing the flow area in the well. Consider Q=VA where Q is flow, V is velocity, and A is flow area. If the flow remains constant and the flow area decrease, then the velocity must increase. Rust bacteria in fact thrive and grow in high velocity area. This is the snowball effect and one of the reason I feel it is important to control the rust bacteria.
On more addition to my lengthy soliloquy. There is a danger in a bacteria rebound. This is something I am familiar with, however I need some refreshment on the subject. I believe that if the chorine kills the only the bacteria on the surface it provides a greater surface area for growth and a larger energy source for bacteria. This can actually cause a greater concentration of bacteria in the well and more problems. What I don’t remember is if a longer residence time is required or if a second application of chlorine days later is needed. Some help on this issue would be good.