Well water with sulfur taste and smell

[Stimw]

Down here (FL.) the sulphur is a gas suspended in the water. They use a 200-300 gallon aireator tank that sprays the water into the tank freeing the gas then a second pump to pressurize the water to the house.
A house with the gas and no aireator always smells like someone just took a dump!

 

[Gunny]

Get in touch with your extension agent, the University of Kentucky has several different ways to handle it, depending on concentrations and such. One way is to aerate the water from the well into a cistern or other large holding tank then pump from the holding tank into the house. That does require two pumps, but in two cases that I know of, it works.

The great thing about working with the extension agent is that their help is free and you'd be getting expert advice (and a good solution)

 

[Western]

Dennis,
Have you checked the sacrificial anode in your water heater?

Has the standard anode in a new water heater right now. Even if I change that it will still be a problem, all though to a lesser degree.

 

[sdkubota]

If you can afford it, have a deeper well installed. The existing well is far to shallow and prone to a number of different contamination sources that can be extremely detrimental to your family's health.:2cents:

 

[doelake]

If you can afford it, have a deeper well installed. The existing well is far to shallow and prone to a number of different contamination sources that can be extremely detrimental to your family's health.:2cents:

I agree, shallow wells are often under the influence of ground water... not enough depth for proper filtration! You could drill a deeper well and it may solve the problem or you can spend $$$ adding filtration and chlorination systems to protect your drinking water. Good luck!

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Sulfur in a shallow well is usually coming from decaying organic materials which generate hydrogen sulfide gas which causes the odor and taste. Most shallow wells have too high a bacteria count for safe human consumption as every thing on the ground leaches down to that level. TEST-TEST. You may be putting your family in harms way. WA state no longer allows such shallow wells for that reason unless tested to be safe and totally enclosed to surface contamination down the bore hole. You sell real estate here with wells and septic tanks, both have to tested, inspected, and certified safe.

Ron

 

[eddie48]

As I understand it, there is a bacteria which is called a sulfur reducing bacteria. It loves the annode in your hot water tank. To get rid of it you need to replace the annode and then chlorinate the system.

 

[jkk]

This is a very shallow well in comparison to most wells in this area. We are hooked up on county water and do not use the well. My wife's grandfather had the well dug back in the 40's and they used it up until about 20 years ago and that was when the county brought a water main thru and most people in this area got hooked up on to it.

We have owned this property for about 3 years now and we are raising a small herd of beef calves and we was actually wanting to use the well for watering the livestock but, was unsure of the affects the sulfur water might have on the calves. We will probably just leave it be for it sounds like there could be a lot of cost involved in getting it safe for human or livestock consumption. Better to be safe than sorry.
Thanks for all the input.


James

 

[whistlepig]

Well water and sulfur smell go hand in hand in our area. We have filters that take out the sulfur smell. That has worked for us for many years now.

 

[sunnyside360]

Call Kinetico if there is a franchise in your area. They will test your water for free and give you options for treating the source. I did a lot of researching on the topic and wound up with a Kinetico aeration type system which is practically maintenance free. The system with installation included was approx $2K. That was 10 years ago and haven't had a whiff of sulfur since.