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Well Water

By
Real Estate Agent

**

Ongoing monitoring of your well water quality is extremely important.  The bacterial quality should be checked every six months.  The chemical quality should be checked every one to two years or earlier if you notice a change in taste or odor.

Protecting your water source and water supply system is utmost important.  Protection starts with proper location and construction of the well, followed by disinfection.  Chemical disinfection or chlorination is essential to ensure that your well, pump, and pipes are free from bacteria.  The process of disinfecting your well may take up to 24 hours to complete.  Before you begin, make sure you store enough water to meet your household needs during this period. 

Suggested giudelines for "shocking" the well water is as follows:

 

 

 

Amount of unscented bleach

Depth of Well

Drilled well

Dug well

Metres

Feet

15 cm casing

92 cm casing

1

3

40 ml

1.5 L

3

10

120 ml

4.5 L

5

15

200 ml

7.5 L

10

30

400 ml

15.0 L

30

100

1.2 L

 

50

150

2.0 L

 

100

300

4.0 L

 

 

·        Mix the amount of liquid bleach (shown in table) in 10 to 20 litres of water.  Use unscented household bleach that does not contain additives.

·        Remove the well cap and pour the mixed chloride solution into the well.

·        Open one faucet in the system and let the water run until you can smell the chlorine.  Turn the faucet off.  Repeat at each faucet in the system one at a time until all faucets have been completed.

·        If possible, connect a garden hose to a nearby tap and place the other end in your well. Turn on your tap and allow the water to circulate for about an hour.

·        Seal the top of the well and let the system sit idle for approximately 12 hours.  Do not leave chlorine for more than 24 hours because it may adversely affect some pump parts.

·        After this time, flush the system by discharging the chlorinated water through an outside tap until the chlorine odour is not longer detectable.  To complete the flushing, run each indoor faucet until the odour is no longer there.

You should also check at least once a year that:

·        the well cap is securely in place and water tight

·        the vent screen is intact and not blocked by vegetation

·        connections in the well casing are properly sealed

·        surface drainage near the well is directed away from the well

·        surface water does not pond at or near the well

·        the well pump and distribution system is functioning properly, with no leaks

You can also follow some of these simple rules:

·        Do not allow liquids or waters from contaminant sources such as garbage and manure piles to drain towards or close to the well.

·        Grow a grass buffer zone and do not treat the area around the well with pesticides or fertilizer.

·        Do not flush oils, detergents, paints or other chemicals down the toilet or on the ground

·        Do not allow animals to urinate or defecate near the well.

If you follow these guidelines, your well should provide good quality water for a quite some time.

 

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