Water well shock/problem "Update"
Doorman
My water well is 150' ft. deep with a submersible pump. The water is
extremely soft with lots of sodium. Last weekend I shocked my well using the
following procedure.
First I pumped 200 gallons of water into a plastic tank. I then turned off
the electricity. Next I dumped 10 litters of chlorine (special stuff for
this purpose) directly into the well. I then mixed the remaining 10 liters
of chlorine with 200 gallons of water and pumped it back down the well at a
rate that kept the water level with the top of the casing. I left the
mixture in the well for about 24 hours. I then turned the electricity back
on and ran the well pump for about 4 hours until the chlorine smell was
gone. So far so good.
A couple of days later my water turned the color of tea and it appears to be
getting worse. It appears the chlorine upset the balance in the aquifer. I
expect it will eventually clear, up but I'm curious what's to happening down
below. Any help would be appreciated.
Stu
Nov. 09/99 UPDATE
Had the water tested and found out why the water turned the colour it did.
The reddish colour is from the iron bacteria which has oxidized as a result
of the shocking process.
I'm not sure where the iron comes from as the water tested less than 1 part
iron.
By the way, the chlorine was 12 1/2% strength. I also found out that the
Department of the Environment recommends that you shock your well twice a
year following the above procedure.
Thanks to all who commented.
Stu
tim
wet" anyway, but your concentration of bleach seems awful high, which
probably doesn't matter, but bleach IS corrosive and I would think (I
don't know) that it might cause premature failure of your pump or other
parts of your water system.
Anyway, you might want to check out this website. This is the one I use
when I had to shock my well after putting a new pump in (the old one
only lasted 30 years).
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/dwg/febact.htm#chemical
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Before you buy.
Doorman
tim <tim...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:80aabo$n51$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> Thanks for the update. You know, it's not my place, and I may be "all
> wet" anyway, but your concentration of bleach seems awful high, which
> probably doesn't matter, but bleach IS corrosive and I would think (I
> don't know) that it might cause premature failure of your pump or other
> parts of your water system.
The well is quite new (5 years) and the casing and all the piping is
plastic. I know the concentration is high but thats what our local
government reccomends so i would think that the information is correct. It's
been about 3 weeks since I did the shock thing and when they tested the
water there was no evidence of chlorine at all.
>
> Anyway, you might want to check out this website. This is the one I use
> when I had to shock my well after putting a new pump in (the old one
> only lasted 30 years).
30 years is a long time for a pump to last. Mine is 24 and still going
strong but I've got a new sitting in the garage ready to go.
Stu
Willard (Jack) Davis
I have been reading about this shock treatment in various post and I
have this question; Doesn't the water in your well come from an
aquiferous source which may be hundreds of miles away. You draw water
from it as it flows past you. My thought is that most wells have water
flowing through them constantly as an aquiferous stream or by seepage
and it would appear to me that shocking would be a waste of time and
effort and any purification factor would be of short time. My well when
drilled went into a flowing stream or spring, the driller created a
pocket and I pump from that pocket, the water is constantly flowing in
an out.For the Department of Environment to advocate such would appear
to me that they are advocating polution of a natural invironment.I think
they are wrong in doing so. What is the effect of the chlorine further
downstream????????? Your comments appreciated.
Jack
******************
tim
Interesting bit about polluting the entire aquafer, I actually spoke to
the water treatment director of a local city when I had to shock my
well and asked some of the same questions, what he told me made sense
at the time, but time and my feeble memory have combined to make my
relating the information a bit risky.
But, essentially, he told me that it IS possible for a well to pollute
the ground water in a general area, that is why certain things, such as
sanitary seal, well permits, etc. are required. Most of the chlorine
pumped in for shock treatment goes through the house system. Any bit
that might enter the actual aquafir is quickly diluted to nothing.
At, least that is how my feeble brain remembers his discussion. I
remember him throwing in lots of phrases such as BOD, turbidity and
concentration (I was concentrating best I could), but being just a poor
ole country boy, I didn't understand some of it.
JonquilJan
the house. Previous well was questionable.
Haven't done it since.
JonquilJan
Learn something new every day
As long as you are learning, you are living
When you stop learning, you start dying
Willard (Jack) Davis <tin...@waverly.net> wrote in message
news:38299171...@waverly.net...
Ebyrd
the rule of thumb for shock decontamination of new or contaminated water
distribution equipment. The theory being that a reasonable contact time is
24 hrs. and that a 25 ppm residual would indicate everything " killed".
Chlorine, hypochlorite, etc. are all used up by the deconamination process
so any residual means it has done its job. When you're shocking, you'll need
to take in to considerations the strength of the mix.
Household bleach is about 4%
Industrial sodium hypochlorite @ 13%
Calcium hypochlorite @ 60%
and gas chlorine about 96%.
You can't just go by a gallon to gallon mix.
If you getting a dark rusty look, you could be experiencing what they call
"iron bacteria" which is really nasty stuff. You might be avle to get a hold
of your extension agent or water resources dept. for info. If I recall
correctly the stuff is really hard to get rid of.
Good Luck, ebyrd
Doorman wrote in message ...
Doorman
Willard (Jack) Davis <tin...@waverly.net> wrote in message
news:38299171...@waverly.net...
> Hi:
>
> I have been reading about this shock treatment in various post and I
> have this question; Doesn't the water in your well come from an
> aquiferous source which may be hundreds of miles away. You draw water
> from it as it flows past you. My thought is that most wells have water
> flowing through them constantly as an aquiferous stream or by seepage
> and it would appear to me that shocking would be a waste of time and
> effort and any purification factor would be of short time.
Well I guess it is a short time. The effects last for about 1 year, and then
the water starts to get a stale smell to it and the toilet tanks get this
real slimy stuff in them. The Department of the Environment actually
reccomends that you shock your well more often, like every spring and fall
to ensure a fresh supply of water. I was also told that if I did it more
often it wouldn't turn quite so red from the oxidation.
My well when
> drilled went into a flowing stream or spring, the driller created a
> pocket and I pump from that pocket, the water is constantly flowing in
> an out.For the Department of Environment to advocate such would appear
> to me that they are advocating polution of a natural invironment.I think
> they are wrong in doing so. What is the effect of the chlorine further
> downstream????????? Your comments appreciated.
> Jack
> *
I can't answer on that one. I have no idea where the water comes from, all I
know is that where I live, I'm lucky to have water at all. It's really
scarce around here.
*****************
Janet
it! LOL! We have bacterial iron in our well water and it costs us over $35 a
month for an iron remover tank and the oxygenator! It's the only way we have
found to keep it under control.Mind you just the tank and oxygenator alone
won't do the whole job.... we need a softner in the mix as well to get rid
of the rest of it.... just add another $20 a month for that!
Janet
Doorman <s...@steel-craft.ca> wrote in message
news:zRjW3.316$w27.15...@nr1.ottawa.istar.net...
Doorman
will go away and it worked. mind you my water is really soft and there's
virtually no iron. All you need is a container to hold 200 gallons of
water, and a couple hours later your finished. What a difference. The water
smells fresh and although it's taking forever to get clear I can see that it
soon will be.
The cost of the chlorine is only $16.00 Cdn. and if it clears the water up
for a whole year then what's wrong with that.
Stu
Janet <bou...@NOSPAMattcanada.net> wrote in message
news:0JrW3.1447$fy1...@tundra.ops.attcanada.net...