I'd like to hear from people

[izquierdista]

I'd like to hear from people who are having problems with bacterial contamination in their well water. If you have had any instances of contamination or if you know anyone who has, please tell me about it -- what time of year, depth of well, what steps you have taken, etc. Links to any news articles on well water problems would be appreciated too. Thanks DUers. :hi:

[NNadir]

1. The solution to this is two-fold. You can shock the well with oxidizing agents,

generally peroxides or a very concentrated bleach. Another agent is oxone, a highly oxidized sulfate species. Get a well professional to do this.

You may not be able to drink your water for several days after treatment, but can use the water for baths, washing, irrigation, etc.

A long term general solution is to install a UV lamp in your water line. If your area has septic systems - well served areas usually do - this will prevent outbreaks of contamination that you may not catch. It will be necessary to install an ion exchange system before it to prevent obstruction of the UV window by carbonates of calcium and magnesium. I recommend activated carbon filters as well. These will remove some - but not all - heavy metals as well as radon gas if your soil contains natural uranium, as ours does here. (Radium will be removed by the ion exchange.)

I suspect that an added benefit of a UV lamp is the destruction or possible destruction of certain organochlorine species that are becoming endemic in groundwater around the planet.

A final purification step can be accomplished by an RO system at your kitchen sink.

I hope this helps.