Disinfection: How to Kill the Germs in Your Well
Disinfect (sanitize) your water to kill germs before using the water for any household purposes. Even if your well is working, you should use other sources of water for drinking, food preparation, and brushing teeth until your well test results show the water is safe to drink. Check with local health department personnel about other acceptable sources of water.
A concentrated bleach solution needs to be circulated through the well and house plumbing to assure proper disinfection of the well and plumbing before use of the well water. Below is a step by step method to sanitize a well before restoring it to full use. If your well is a “point well”, or if the well pump is a jet pump, it is recommended that you hire a water well contractor to disinfect your well.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY -- EXTREME CAUTION is advised when disinfecting a well.
Electricity near water can be dangerous. Before you do anything to the well:
- Shut off power to the pump and water system.
- Examine for broken wire insulation or missing wire nuts and repair as necessary.
- Wear rubber-soled shoes or boots, preferably waterproof.
| 12 Steps to Disinfect Your Well |
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| Step | Instructions |
|---|
| 1 | Attach a hose to the outdoor faucet that is closest to the well or pressure tank. The hose needs to be long enough to reach the well. Run water through the hose until it is clear. |
| 2 | Mix 2 quarts of regular, unscented household bleach with 10 gallons of water in a large bucket in the area of the well casing. Do not use “splashless”, scented, or gel variety bleach. |
| 3 | Turn off the electric power to the well pump (the switch is probably located at the circuit breaker box or near the pressure tank). Carefully remove the well cap (and well seal if there is one). Set aside. |
| 4 | Turn the electric power to the well pump back on. Place the other end of the hose into the casing. Turn the faucet with hose on. |
| 5 | Pour 10 gallons of the water and bleach mixture down the open well casing while the water is running through the hose. Continue running the water through the hose placed inside the well casing. |
| 6 | Run the water at each indoor and outdoor faucet until a chlorine odor is present, and then shut off each faucet (except the faucet with the hose). |
| 7 | Continue running water through the hose and down inside the well casing to recirculate the chlorine solution. Use the hose to also wash down the inside of the well casing. |
| 8 | After one hour of recirculating the water, remove the hose from the well. Fill a bucket with 10 gallons of water. Shut off the faucet that the hose is connected to and make sure all the other faucets are still shut off to assure the pump is stopped. Remove the hose from the well. |
| 9 | Mix two more quarts of bleach in 10 gallons of water. Use about half a gallon of the mixture to rinse and disinfect the well cap (and seal if there is one). Turn off the electric power to the well pump. Pour the remaining mixture into the well. Replace the well cap (and seal). |
| 10 | Allow the well to stand idle for at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 24 hours. Avoid using the water during this time. The electric power to the pump still needs to be off. |
| 11 | Turn the electric power to the well back on after it has been idle for 8 to 24 hours. |
| 12 | Purge the well and plumbing of the chlorinated water:- Connect a hose to an outside faucet and place the other end of the hose away from grass and shrubbery.
- Open the faucet and run the water until the chlorine odor disappears.
- Open all the other indoor and outdoor faucets until the chlorine odor disappears.
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FAQs
Two typical methods are (1) using chemicals to loosen and sometimes dissolve the encrusting materials so they can be pumped from the well and (2) cleaning the well using a mechanical action, pressure, or fluid force (air or water). The best results come from “both”.
How do you flush a private well? ›
Pump the water until it runs clear to get rid of any groundwater in the well. Use a hose connected to an outside faucet so the flushed water flows to a nearby drainageway rather than into your septic system or public sewer.
How long does it take for well water to fill back up? ›
In general, you should expect your well to replenish at a rate of 5 gallons per minute, but there are a number of factors that will play a role in how quickly it refills. For reference, if your well is 1200 gallons, it should take approximately 4 hours to refill.
What is a good recovery rate for a well? ›
The well recovery rate is measured in gallons per minute (GPM). Generally, for most residential wells, a good recovery rate ranges between 5GPM and 10GPM. A well recovery rate of 1GPM indicates a low yield well. A well yield stress test can help you calculate your well's recovery rate.
Can an old well be restored? ›
Even if you've been at the location for years, old, nonworking wells can be revitalized. If you are thinking about bringing back into service here are a few things to consider.
How often should you put bleach in your well? ›
A well and water system should not need to be chlorinated more than once per year; although dug wells that have never been cleaned sometimes require sequential rounds of disinfection. Aside from when new pumps are installed, many wells never require disinfection.
Can I shock my well myself? ›
You can easily shock your well by adding plain unscented household bleach with a chlorine concentration of 5 to 5.25%. The amount of household bleach used varies with the type of well you have.
How do you treat private well water? ›
Reverse osmosis filters are one of the most effective filtration systems available for water treatment. These systems are generally used in tandem with pre-filters which take care of larger sediment, and are able to remove most common contaminants.
How long can a well sit unused? ›
A well that hasn't been used or cared for in years is likely to be in poor condition. It might have cracks, or it might even be in danger of falling in on itself. If you find a well that's been neglected, have it inspected by a knowledgeable professional.
Does rain replenish well water? ›
Water wells are refilled by rain. But the rain does not have to be local to the well. There are underground strata, layers, of rock. Some of the strata are porous, that is, they have void spaces in them, like a sponge, that can be filled with water.
A well is said to have gone dry when water levels drop below a pump intake. This does not mean that a dry well will never have water in it again, as the water level may come back through time as recharge increases.
Do water wells refill themselves? ›
Deeply drilled wells can recharge themselves and will provide clean plentiful water, even during extended periods of dry weather.
How much does it cost to get a well working again? ›
Normal range: $373 - $1,620. The average cost to repair a well pump is $373 to $1,620 , depending on the extent of the damage. The average price to get your well pump back up and running is $971 . However, well pump repair costs can go as low as $373 and as high as $1,620 .
What is the life expectancy of a well? ›
If it is 20 years old or older, you are closer to facing the need to replace it. The average lifespan of water wells is 20 to 30 years. They don't last much longer than this.
Does a well increase property value? ›
And finally, some estimates have concluded that having a home well on a property can raise the property value of the land by as much as 10 percent. This is especially true if you live in an area where water is scarce, such as a desert or mountainous terrain.
Can a dry well get water again? ›
A well is said to have gone dry when water levels drop below a pump intake. This does not mean that a dry well will never have water in it again, as the water level may come back through time as recharge increases.
Can you fix a dried up well? ›
A process called hydrofracturing can restore your well to flowing normally without having to drill a new one. This can save you thousands of dollars and is a much faster process. By combining hydrofracturing with other solutions like lowering your pump depth you can be back up and running in no time.
How can I make my well water better? ›
To keep your well water safe to drink, installing a water filter to remove viruses, parasites, bacteria, and protozoans from your water is crucial. Newborns, children, and the elderly are particularly sensitive to these contaminants, so filtration and regular water testing are critical to their health and safety.
