Sampling your Water Well for bacteria
This blog is about sampling your water well for bacteria. Very few companies can do any type of on-site bacteria testing. It must be sampled properly on-site, and then transported to a nearby lab in a timely manner. Most samples have expiration’s of less than 24 hours. It is best to get a certified water well driller involved to sample so that proper procedures may be followed.
For the Tri-County area, we recommend Trident Labs in Ladson, SC. Their number is 843-871-4999. Their address is 9104 Canvas Lane, Ladson, SC 29456. They can test for any number of parameters, but you must first acquire their bottles for the test.
For instructions on how to perform a proper water sample, watch this video.
This will inform you of the proper methods of taking the sample and what steps must be followed once you have sampled it.
If for some reason your well turns out to be contaminated, after you have taken all precautions in pulling the sample properly, then you must sterilize the well. Sterilization is best left to a professional since it must be properly installed in the well. This ensures that it is evenly distributed in the proper quantities. The amount varies based on depth of well and diameter. Other factors play a roll in our determination of quantity and type of sterilization.
Everyone is under the impression that a gallon of Clorox will do the trick. Not necessarily so. My good friend Dave Hanson of Design Water Technologies has taught me this over and over.
I have had my tail kicked a few times trying to get a well 100% clean. I have figured out a thing or two over the years, and have come to the conclusion that chlorine is about the worst thing you can use, although it will work on occasion, given minor contamination issues.
For more problematic wells we use a product called Perma-Clean. It has a dye in it to allow you to detect it in the flush process, and it dissipates quickly. It also is not harmful to plants and animals in the levels that will eventually flush from the well (Chlorine is usually very dangerous to plants and animals and will kill fish if they are exposed). This product is so safe it can even be used in situations where a fish pond needs to be cleared of bacteria build up (even on the fish itself!). The product also has a reverse effect when exposed to hydrogen peroxide. This makes for a knockout punch to bacteria that is lasting, assuming the well construction is proper. I have never had a well system treated with Perma-Clean test bad after one treatment*.
Call us if you think your well may be contaminated with bacteria. We can test it for you and help you make the right economic choices for your drinking water.
Thanks
Jody Anderson
* Must follow EPA test procedures and test from the faucet nearest the well (not from the kitchen sink)