Treating Well

[Soundguy]

You might want to re-read that wiki article you quoted from.

UV treatment IS effective. so is fairly simple filtration and sedimentation.

that bugger is a prozoan...

There is one parasite that chlorine or UV won't kill as noted below. Most bacteria is harmless and without it, we wouldn't be here.

Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite that causes the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis. Both the parasite and the disease are commonly known as "Crypto."
There are many species of Cryptosporidium that infect humans and animals. The parasite is protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive outside the body for long periods of time and makes it very tolerant to chlorine disinfection.
While this parasite can be spread in several different ways, water (drinking water and recreational water) is the most common method of transmission. Cryptosporidium is one of the most frequent causes of waterborne disease among humans in the United States.
This article is from the CDC.

 

[droptop]

I would like to know how chlorine tablets/granules can keep a well free from iron build-up.

It would keep Iron bacteria from growing. I used to be in charge of the water treatment at a paper mill. We would pull water from a river and chlorinate it prior to using it in the process. The water would be chlorinated and then filtered. If the chlorine level was too low a iron bacteria slime would form on the filters, indicating it was time to up the rate.

 

[speedbump]

It would keep Iron bacteria from growing. I used to be in charge of the water treatment at a paper mill. We would pull water from a river and chlorinate it prior to using it in the process. The water would be chlorinated and then filtered. If the chlorine level was too low a iron bacteria slime would form on the filters, indicating it was time to up the rate.

I fully agree, but that is not what they said on their website. They said it would prevent iron buildup.

You might want to re-read that wiki article you quoted from.

From all I've read, the jury is still out because of all the variables of Crypto and UV. If someone wants peace of mind from Crypto, a decent inline filter would be a good idea behind that UV device..

 

[Soundguy]

yup.. cysts are realitively EASY to filter...

 

[forgeblast]

We do have a filter before our UV.

 

[Pilot]

The notion that the chlorine will hang near the surface is wrong. Liquid chlorine actually weighs almost 50% more than water. When we had a swimming pool we would pour chlorine into the pool at the shallow end and watch as it (it's yellow and easy to see) went to the bottom and flowed to the deep end, all the while pushing some of the fine particles with it, helping to clean the pool.

 

[TheGoose]

Actually, that depends on what type of plumbing you have. It certainly COULD damage older metal plumbing like galvanized steel and possibly copper (depending on the grade). CLOROX is simply liquid chlorine and chlorine is an oxidizer. I have seen wells treated with chlorine eat a hole in the metal tanks and plumbing, but these were systems were chlorine was added continuously. An occasional shock treatment should be fine but if your plumbing is already stressed it could be the proverbial straw.

Of course, it won't hurt CPVC or PEX.

chlorox will NOT hurt the plumbing. besides.. it won't be inthe plumbing.. it will be in the WELL.

ever hear of chloronated water? maybee drinking water in cities?

um.. POOLS?


In the county I live / work in. if a well fails testing. standard procedure is a shock treatment, then runthe well for a period.. then retest.

lastly. Whoever told you the chlorox would hurt the plumbing.. loose them and find a new source of info. they clearly do not understand all involved.

 

[Soundguy]

Actually, that depends on what type of plumbing you have. It certainly COULD damage older metal plumbing like galvanized steel and possibly copper (depending on the grade). CLOROX is simply liquid chlorine and chlorine is an oxidizer. I have seen wells treated with chlorine eat a hole in the metal tanks and plumbing, but these were systems were chlorine was added continuously. An occasional shock treatment should be fine but if your plumbing is already stressed it could be the proverbial straw.

Of course, it won't hurt CPVC or PEX.

He's not doing continous treatment.



lets step out of the armchair theory for a moment and actually work in the real world....if the system is already so degraded that a single chlorine treatment kill sit. it was gonna die in a few more days anyway.

you can't neglect something for 20 years and then do a lil PM that kicks it and blame the PM.

materials have a limeted service lifespan. if you exceded the lifespan you repalce it.

when your brake pads get thin and the next time you step on them you think the pad is gonna crumble.. what's the answer.. don't step on them? or repalce the pad?

same deal here

1 1 chlorine dose vaporizes his pipes. his pipes were 99.99999999% vaporized already.

Every water system we build that is potable, must have a treatment.

if a system can't withstand a treatment.. it's time for replacement.

 

[speedbump]

Every water system we build that is potable, must have a treatment.

if a system can't withstand a treatment.. it's time for replacement.

Whether it needs it or not??? Why?

 

[Soundguy]

Whether it needs it or not??? Why?

did you read any of the posts in this thread? like the 1st one?

 

[speedbump]

Maybe I am thinking of another definition of "treatment" than you are. I took it to mean that every system you build gets a chlorinater or something. If you are in the Well Business and do a shock treatment on each well before putting it in service that's great. But if you are putting a feed pump on every system, that's not so great. Or maybe you mean something totally different. Can you explain what you meant by that?

And yes, I have been reading all the posts.

 

[Brimfield]

here is a NH web site on water, including how to back flush a well

Drinking Water/Ground Water Fact Sheets - Public Information and Permitting Unit - NH Department of Environmental Services

 

[Soundguy]

Maybe I am thinking of another definition of "treatment" than you are. I took it to mean that every system you build gets a chlorinater or something. If you are in the Well Business and do a shock treatment on each well before putting it in service that's great. But if you are putting a feed pump on every system, that's not so great. Or maybe you mean something totally different. Can you explain what you meant by that?

And yes, I have been reading all the posts.

when we install potable water lines, etc. we have to disinfect and pressure test them.

i said NOTHING about adding an automatic chlorinator.

 

[Soundguy]

'a treatment'

that's singular by the way....

 

[TheGoose]

You need to re-read my post. I said that it shouldn't hurt it, you said that it wouldn't hurt it and then went so far as to say that anybody who said otherwise didn't know what they were talking about.

When you chlorinate water you are making acid. If you don't think that acid hurts metal pipes then I don't know what else to tell you. I have known people who shortened the life of their plumbing by chlorinating their water (on a manual basis) too frequently. IMO it should be done no more than once per year with a properly designed and drilled well.

Plumbing includes the pipes inside the well (as well as the casing), the tank, and the household plumbing.

This isn't simply about "if it gets old replace it" like you would with break pads. Plumbing runs through walls, ceilings, and even under slabs. A house re-plumb can cost anywhere from $3-10K and up. I wouldn't want to do anything that would un-necessarily shorten the life-span of my plumbing in that situation. You are definitely shortening the life of your plumbing and fixtures every single time you add chlorine to your water. When you "shock" a well that could mean anywhere from .5 ppm to 100+ ppm. I have seen it all. Shocking your well stresses every part of the system, including the submersible pump cable, the motor, and everything in between.

He's not doing continous treatment.



lets step out of the armchair theory for a moment and actually work in the real world....if the system is already so degraded that a single chlorine treatment kill sit. it was gonna die in a few more days anyway.

you can't neglect something for 20 years and then do a lil PM that kicks it and blame the PM.

materials have a limeted service lifespan. if you exceded the lifespan you repalce it.

when your brake pads get thin and the next time you step on them you think the pad is gonna crumble.. what's the answer.. don't step on them? or repalce the pad?

same deal here

1 1 chlorine dose vaporizes his pipes. his pipes were 99.99999999% vaporized already.

Every water system we build that is potable, must have a treatment.

if a system can't withstand a treatment.. it's time for replacement.

 

[TheGoose]

By the way, I believe in disinfecting wells and I have done it thousands of times. I just wanted to point out that there is indeed a risk, albeit small, that chlorine could damage your plumbing, especially if you over-shock the well, which is what usually happens. I think that most people want to "disinfect" their well even if it doesn't need it.

 

[oosik]

WHOA!!! I've been in the environmental health field over 30 years in both Alaska and WA state and I've NEVER seen a home continuous chlorine(or any other disinfectant) feed system. I've never seen a private well that has even come close to needing such a contraption!! If the water from a private well is that polluted - it best be just filled with cement and not put into production. We had ordinances in both Alaska and here in WA state that basically say - "If suitable water (meaning w/out treatment) can not be found on the property then the property can not be developed for human habitation". Sorry, but, no ticky, no washy.

Now, if you are talking about initial disinfection of a newly drilled well and the plumbing to and throughout the house - that's a completely different issue. All new wells & plumbing should be disinfected prior to being put into production.

Continuous disinfection and treatment of a municipal water system is a completely different animal and in no way is compatible or comparable with a private well and distribution system.

Example - those of us on septic tank and distribution system - how often do you check you septic tank and drain field?? Every six month or annually?? Most people go by the code of - "Flush it and forget it".

Example - those of us on a private well - how often do you check your well? How often do you have a chemical and bacterial analysis run on the water? Did you know that Federal law requires continuous monitoring of bacterial and chemical content on municipal water systems.

Any type of chemical disinfection of any class of water system will - most likely - be required to continuously monitor the disinfectant levels. Most homeowners are not qualified to do this and their home does not include a qualified laboratory facility.

 

[TheGoose]

All of the chlorinators I have seen in the field were put in place "voluntarily" by people who were either sold on the idea or wanted it. Sometimes it will help with the smell of certain kinds of water. Most of the time it's put into place by a treatment company or "city folk" who move to the country and *think* they need continuously chlorinated water (like the city!).

PWS are mandated to have them and I have seen plenty in trailer parks, gas stations, etc. with continuous feed chlorinators (with dead cockroaches in the bleach tank to boot).

 

[Soundguy]

I'm not talking about a periodic system.

I'm talking about a limited basis, 1 time, or treat as needed situation.

IE.. at install, and then after a test failure.. or after a period of long non use.

if the system can't handle that. it was a bad system.

The interior pvc piping should be mostly oblivious to chlorinated water.. especially at that concentration and frequency I'm mentioning. same for the copper, and irons and black iron, and galvanized.

Don't read in anything I'm not saying.

If you fail a water test with coliforms.. you need to shock. if your pipes are so chitty that yhey won't survive a shock.. then you mave more issues other than coliforms.

my point.

You need to re-read my post. I said that it shouldn't hurt it, you said that it wouldn't hurt it and then went so far as to say that anybody who said otherwise didn't know what they were talking about.

When you chlorinate water you are making acid. If you don't think that acid hurts metal pipes then I don't know what else to tell you. I have known people who shortened the life of their plumbing by chlorinating their water (on a manual basis) too frequently. IMO it should be done no more than once per year with a properly designed and drilled well.

Plumbing includes the pipes inside the well (as well as the casing), the tank, and the household plumbing.

This isn't simply about "if it gets old replace it" like you would with break pads. Plumbing runs through walls, ceilings, and even under slabs. A house re-plumb can cost anywhere from $3-10K and up. I wouldn't want to do anything that would un-necessarily shorten the life-span of my plumbing in that situation. You are definitely shortening the life of your plumbing and fixtures every single time you add chlorine to your water. When you "shock" a well that could mean anywhere from .5 ppm to 100+ ppm. I have seen it all. Shocking your well stresses every part of the system, including the submersible pump cable, the motor, and everything in between.

 

[Soundguy]

EXACTLY

WHOA!!! I've been in the environmental health field over 30 years in both Alaska and WA state and I've NEVER seen a home continuous chlorine(or any other disinfectant) feed system. I've never seen a private well that has even come close to needing such a contraption!! If the water from a private well is that polluted - it best be just filled with cement and not put into production. We had ordinances in both Alaska and here in WA state that basically say - "If suitable water (meaning w/out treatment) can not be found on the property then the property can not be developed for human habitation". Sorry, but, no ticky, no washy.

Now, if you are talking about initial disinfection of a newly drilled well and the plumbing to and throughout the house - that's a completely different issue. All new wells & plumbing should be disinfected prior to being put into production.

Continuous disinfection and treatment of a municipal water system is a completely different animal and in no way is compatible or comparable with a private well and distribution system.

Example - those of us on septic tank and distribution system - how often do you check you septic tank and drain field?? Every six month or annually?? Most people go by the code of - "Flush it and forget it".

Example - those of us on a private well - how often do you check your well? How often do you have a chemical and bacterial analysis run on the water? Did you know that Federal law requires continuous monitoring of bacterial and chemical content on municipal water systems.

Any type of chemical disinfection of any class of water system will - most likely - be required to continuously monitor the disinfectant levels. Most homeowners are not qualified to do this and their home does not include a qualified laboratory facility.