How To Make Well Water Drinkable And Keep It Safe To Drink

Reasons to Get Private Wells Checked

It is essential to know what contaminants may be present near your wells. The chart below lists the standard conditions or nearby activities for which well owners may have their private wells checked.  

Not every kind poses an immediate health threat to the quality of your wells. Some may just affect the water's taste, immediate appearance, and overall appearance.

Well Water Testing

A Filtration System

A water filter is a device used to remove various contaminants and impurities from drinking water. A water filtration system could use a chemical, a biological process, or a physical barrier to filter your drinking water. This is to make sure that it is safe to drink.

1. A water softener makes the hair and skin softer: A Water softener makes the skin and hair soft, just like clothes. Since it gently protects the skin, it can also affect the fabric you wear, thereby increasing overall cleanliness.

2. Prolong the lifespan of appliances: This will protect appliances by preventing chemical and residue buildup. It will also allow appliances to use less energy as they operate.

3. Stain-free surface: A water softener ensures that surfaces are stain-free and that the soap's functionality is not compromised. Thus, the detergents will be effective, and the amount needed to clean a particular area inside the house will be reduced.

A Distillation System

1. You can design a DIY using small rocks, sand, charcoal, and cloth. First, use a cone-shaped object and add some charcoal to it. Then, create a filter by filling the cone alternately with sand and small rocks.

2. You can boil the well water for 5 minutes. With this, all the bacteria inside it will be eliminated. However, boiling will not be able to remove the solids and other materials inside the well water.

3. Chlorine drops or iodine tablets can effectively kill the bacteria in well water. However, they can also cause an undesirable taste.

4. Filters are available for outdoor adventures. They purify or clean water using a ceramic or carbon-based system.

Water chlorination is one of the many methods of disinfecting water. It deactivates microorganisms by destroying their cell membranes. When the cell membrane is weakened, chlorine can enter the cell, disrupting respiration and DNA activity.

Chlorination can be done at any moment. Each point of chlorine can control a different area of concern. It can offer a complete treatment when the water enters and leaves the facility.

Berkey Water Filters can be your best option for treating well water. It can remove the most common contaminants from water better than any other gravity filter.

Chlorination is one process of disinfecting or treating the plumbing and well system with chlorine. 

Chlorination is effective in eliminating a one-time bacterial contamination case. However, disinfecting will only fix the issue temporarily if you have a long-term and ongoing problem.

Your issues can relate to well construction, location, or maintenance. Before proceeding, you must identify the cause of the problem.

Sometimes, the source of contamination is unclear, and some wells are difficult to disinfect. These include those impacted by the flood, as well as artesian wells and wells situated near the pit. In these instances, it is best to hire a licensed professional plumber or driller to do the work.

Full Chlorination

The full chlorination method can kill bacteria that may be present in well water and aquifers. It is the standard method for well drillers to deal with persistent bacterial contamination. Moreover, it is used for water affected by floods.

Indeed, professionals often use the complete chlorination technique. However, you can also do it yourself. Gather the necessary equipment and follow the steps in this article.

Determine When to Disinfect Your Water Well

Consider disinfecting the well if the following signs occur:

• If the flood or surface water gets inside the well
• If the well is newly drilled or connected to the plumbing system
• If there are new changes or repairs made to the existing well
• If the well pump is newly repaired or replaced
• You need to disinfect it as part of the yearly maintenance

If you are disinfecting your well due to flooding or suspect that surface water has entered, wait until the water recedes. Before you begin, allow time for the overland flooding to pass or for the ground close to your well to dry.

Safety Measures

If you wish to disinfect your well due to bacteria's presence, you can boil your tap water. You can also use bottled water during the entire disinfection process.

If your well is located near your neighbors' wells, the process can also impact their wells. Ensure you let your neighbors know you are disinfecting your water well. This way, they can monitor for the smell of chlorine and flush their systems.

You must note that you must handle chlorine bleach safely and carefully. You must use protective clothing, gloves, and eyewear. Keep your pets and children away from the well area during the entire process. Ensure you do not leave the bleach containers inside your house.

Keep the containers secured to avoid inhaling the odor. When using bleach in crawl spaces, well pits, or well houses, follow the health rules when working in tight spaces.

Preparations for Disinfecting a Well

To disinfect a well, you can use any household bleach. The chlorine in the bleach can destroy the bacteria. Check the label to see if the bleach contains any additives.  

The disinfection method is based on a chlorine concentration of 5%. This is the typical concentration of bleach found in households. If there are minor concentrations of chlorine, it will affect the entire disinfection process.

You must take note of the following before you begin the entire disinfection process:

First, notify everyone in your household that you will be disinfecting the well water. Then, store enough water for all your members for up to 24 hours. During the process, you can use bottled water or fill the containers with well water.

However, you must boil the water before drinking it. Meanwhile, you can store water in the bathtub for household chores.

Since bleach can lose its strength over time, it is recommended to buy both unscented and regular chlorine bleach. You must also bypass or disconnect the water treatment or filters.

This includes reverse osmosis, water softeners, and carbon filters. Finally, you must turn off your water heater.

Steps on How to Do a Full Chlorination

To fully chlorinate the well, you must pump 1,500 to 2,500 liters of water from the well to a clean tank. Do not use containers that have previously held pesticides or fuel, as this can contaminate the water.

Next, add 10 liters, or approximately 2 ½ gallons, of bleach to your tank. Ensure that you remove the cap from the well's casing. Then, mix another 10 liters (2.5 gallons) of bleach in 15 liters (4 gallons) of water.

Now, you have to pour the mixture into the well. You can use a funnel to control the direction and flow of the bleach. See that you don’t let the bleach run on the wire connections.

After you pour the bleach, rinse the well water casing for a few minutes using a disinfected garden hose connected to the water supply. This allows water to circulate inside the well. When you are done, turn off the hose.

Give the well an hour to rest. This will allow the chlorine to mix well with the water.

Then, gradually pour the 1,500 to 2,500 liters of water, along with the bleach mixture, from the tank into the well. Control the flow so the bleach and water do not overflow the casing onto the ground.

Then, tighten and replace the cap once again. Now, you have to open the faucets inside your house. Flush the toilets until you can smell the chlorine. This will enable you to circulate chlorine throughout your water system. Now, you can turn off the faucets.

Turn off the water supply to your toilets. You can use the stored water if you wish to flush the toilets.

Ensure the bleach sits in the system for 12 to 24 hours. The longer the bleach remains in your water system, the more time the chlorine can eliminate the bacteria.

Finally, you must keep the level of chlorinated water entering your sewage system at a minimum during the disinfection process. Excess chlorine can affect the operation of the septic field and tank.

This product includes two Black Berkey filters, but you can upgrade it to four, six, or eight. Amazingly, regular use can accommodate up to six to twelve people daily. Indeed, the Crown Berkey 6-gallon Water Filter is your best protection against water contaminants. 

• Stay away from the well pump while it is flooded to avoid electric shock. Only the contractor's proper personal protective equipment can prevent this electric shock.

• Do not drink or wash from the flooded well to prevent illness. The water remains unsafe until it is inspected and treated by a qualified contractor or expert.

• Get assistance from a well or pump contractor to clean and disinfect your well before turning on the pump. Due to the natural disaster, the water is likely highly contaminated and therefore requires immediate treatment.

• After the pump is turned back on, pump the well until the water runs clear to remove floodwater from the well. 

• If the water is unclear, get advice from the county or state health department or extension service. They know exactly the following steps, such as contacting the EPA.

In its short guide, "What to do After the Flood, " EPA provides more specific steps for well owners to follow."

Well Retirement

Water wells eventually exhaust themselves and stop functioning. They should be retired from the community when they are no longer useful.

Many people skip the process of well retirement, leaving the well to deteriorate further and potentially posing hazards to those living in the area. Old wells are the landowner's liability, and the owner can also be put at risk if one of the neighbors gets sick or is affected by groundwater contamination.

One good reason why wells must be retired when no longer in use is that they will protect groundwater from surface contamination.

It will also protect the vertical movement of water between and among aquifers, lessen the risk of threats, and mitigate other negative effects on humans and wildlife.

To retire wells from their long-time functions, they must be properly filled in and sealed. Each state has different policies and regulations regarding how and when landowners should notify and document the retirement of the well with the local Department of Environmental Protection or Water Quality Division.

Generally, landowners should contact their local agencies to learn the necessary procedures in their area. If you wish to know more, visit Wellowner.org’s Old/UnusedWells for more information on retiring your water well for good.

Most of the time, you can't possibly retire wells without the help of a well water systems contractor. This is because certain equipment, tools, and skills are required to complete this task.

Furthermore, a professional will be more knowledgeable about plugging unused wells and your state's decommissioning (or retiring) code requirements. Therefore, you can look for a contractor in your state to facilitate a convenient and hassle-free process for water well retirement.

CONCLUSION

Well water, in general, is a good source of water. This is because well water comes directly from the aquifer underground, not from runoff or surface water. As a result, it is a cleaner and fresher version of your drinking water.

Even so, well water should go through various water filtration systems to be safe to drink. After all, water that is tested is safe to drink.       

Ultimately, ensuring the quality of drinking water is one way to protect yourself and your loved ones from harmful contaminants that may pose a health risk.       

So, the final question is: Is well water safe to drink? The answer is yes, as long as you test the water regularly and install house water filtration systems to ensure its quality.