HOW TO CHLORINATE A WELL

We recommend fast-dissolving chlorine pellets because they sink. Most drilled wells are 6" in diameter and hold 1.5 gallons per foot. Most shallow wells are 30" in diameter and hold 37.0 gallons per foot. Use an 8-oz cup of the chlorine pellets for every 100 feet of depth in a 6" diameter well and for every 4 feet of water in a 30" diameter well. One quart of liquid household bleach (5.25%) is roughly equivalent to 8-oz of pellets. When depth is unknown, use three 8-oz cups of chlorine pellets (or liquid bleach equivalent).

PROCEDURE:

1- Drop/ pour the chlorine down the well.

2- Connect a garden hose to the bottom of the water storage tank in the basement and stick the other end a few feet into the well.

3- Turn the hose on full and allow to "circulate". Once the chlorine smell is strong, turn the hose off, go into the house and run all faucets and spigots (hot and cold) until you smell chlorine (even flush the toilets & run the outside spigots!).

4- Turn the hose back on and circulate the water into the well for another 30 minutes. Be sure to thoroughly "wash down" the inside of the well. Important note: in the presence of iron, chlorinated water may become quite "colored". Running the water in the house as soon as the chlorine is strongly detected minimizes any potential problems especially to water treatment systems.

5- Allow to sit for at least 8 hours and preferably overnight (it's OK to flush toilets).

6- Run the hose (not into the well) until the chlorine odor is gone, then run the water everywhere in the house (hot and cold) until odor free. Do NOT initially clear the system of chlorine by running the water in the house (not good for the septic system).

The water can be re-tested for bacteria as soon as there is absolutely NO chlorine smell. A second "failure" is a strong indication that the bacteria problem is chronic and should be addressed with a permanent disinfection system such as "ultra-violet."

Coliform bacteria are found in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals. For the purpose of determining the bacteriological safety of well water it's used as the "indicator" organism. The standard test is inclusive of other members of the Coliform family (Fecal and E-Coli). It can be helpful to isolate the various types.

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