mrtmills
New Member
Hi,
I have a well drilled last year which is behaving strangely and I would be grateful is someone could offer their opinion on what might be happening. My main goal here is to figure whether I need to treat my well or the water coming in to the house - or maybe both.
The well is 360' deep. After the pump was installed it was shocked and the water was good (tasted fine, clear etc) for about 3 weeks. At that point a little bit of irony taste appeared. As the days went on, the water became more metallic tasting and an irony/swampy smell became more pungent. The water started to get orange after is sat out for a while, so I know it is clear water iron. The water is hard and I suspect manganese in there too as my white dishes have little black stains. Anyway, I shocked it myself after that and got the same development, which always ends with me shocking again because the water quality becomes terrible. I have shocked the well 4 times in total and each time I get about 3 weeks of peace.
Since this problem has started I have researched iron and well problems a lot. So the last time I shocked it I did a few experiments. Firstly, once the water started to get irony and once the orange iron began precipitating out of the water, I checked to see if the precipitate would settle to the bottom of the container. From about 3 weeks to 5 weeks post shock, the iron indeed settled to the bottom as a very fine dust which could not be shaken back into the water. The water, if decanted off the precipitate, was clear and tasted fine. However, after 5 weeks post shock the water has been getting worse and now the precipitated iron does not settle out, even after a few days. The water also does not taste fine after leaving it for a while like it did.
All the people I have sought advice from have been very pushy about testing the water to find out what is going on. First off, I have to send my samples to the nearest city and it costs about $50/mineral to get a test done which cannot tell me if it this IRB, colloidal or whatever. Secondly, the iron level is constantly getting worse and until I see some behavioural consistency here I feel it a waste. Also, the people I seek advice from want to put a fancy device in my basement and clearly told me wells are not worth treating, the water is. One guy told me it was colloidal iron for sure, but a little investigation has told me that a) colloidal iron is rare b) colloidal iron is red water when it comes out and c) colloidal iron comes from shallow wells.
Anyway, I am just trying to educate myself to death here so I can make the right decision. Any advice you offer is greatly appreciated.
thank you
I have a well drilled last year which is behaving strangely and I would be grateful is someone could offer their opinion on what might be happening. My main goal here is to figure whether I need to treat my well or the water coming in to the house - or maybe both.
The well is 360' deep. After the pump was installed it was shocked and the water was good (tasted fine, clear etc) for about 3 weeks. At that point a little bit of irony taste appeared. As the days went on, the water became more metallic tasting and an irony/swampy smell became more pungent. The water started to get orange after is sat out for a while, so I know it is clear water iron. The water is hard and I suspect manganese in there too as my white dishes have little black stains. Anyway, I shocked it myself after that and got the same development, which always ends with me shocking again because the water quality becomes terrible. I have shocked the well 4 times in total and each time I get about 3 weeks of peace.
Since this problem has started I have researched iron and well problems a lot. So the last time I shocked it I did a few experiments. Firstly, once the water started to get irony and once the orange iron began precipitating out of the water, I checked to see if the precipitate would settle to the bottom of the container. From about 3 weeks to 5 weeks post shock, the iron indeed settled to the bottom as a very fine dust which could not be shaken back into the water. The water, if decanted off the precipitate, was clear and tasted fine. However, after 5 weeks post shock the water has been getting worse and now the precipitated iron does not settle out, even after a few days. The water also does not taste fine after leaving it for a while like it did.
All the people I have sought advice from have been very pushy about testing the water to find out what is going on. First off, I have to send my samples to the nearest city and it costs about $50/mineral to get a test done which cannot tell me if it this IRB, colloidal or whatever. Secondly, the iron level is constantly getting worse and until I see some behavioural consistency here I feel it a waste. Also, the people I seek advice from want to put a fancy device in my basement and clearly told me wells are not worth treating, the water is. One guy told me it was colloidal iron for sure, but a little investigation has told me that a) colloidal iron is rare b) colloidal iron is red water when it comes out and c) colloidal iron comes from shallow wells.
Anyway, I am just trying to educate myself to death here so I can make the right decision. Any advice you offer is greatly appreciated.
thank you