Rotten egg smell from well water

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Jeffrey J Nodland

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I recently bought property and had well and treatment system put in. My system is a Fleck 2510 with katalox media. I intermittently get a bad smell in the water on cold and hot. The company that installed told me to flush out lines with bleach, because there " is no way it can be a problem with the fleck valve." I've gone as long as two weeks without getting an odor in the past. Don't want to pour bleach in my well without a second opinion. Any thoughts?
 

LLigetfa

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The odor is likely caused by bacteria that could have been in the well from day one or anywhere along the piping introduced by unsanitary practices while doing the work. It is a very common practice to shock chlorinate the entire system after work is done.

The bacteria can colonize on certain material in various locations. Things like the rubber on flexible supply lines is one place but that then would be limited to a particular fixture or fixtures so you need to work your way back to the common denominator that all share if you don't want to start at the well.
 

Reach4

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https://terrylove.com/forums/index....izing-extra-attention-to-4-inch-casing.65845/ is my write-up for sanitizing a deep bottom-feeding well and plumbing. You could maybe adapt the pH reduction and flooding volume sanitizing to your well. Dumping bleach down the well would probably help for a while, but I expect a more rigorous treatment to last significantly longer.

Don't want to pour bleach in my well without a second opinion.
You flush the bleach out before putting your plumbing back into regular service.
 

LLigetfa

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A softener should be sanitized after installation and periodically if bacteria culture colonizes within it but for a heavy shock treatment of a well, it is normally put on bypass to avoid damage to the resin beads.

The method of shock treating the well depends on if or how far the bacteria has gotten into the aquifer. In some cases it may be impossible to eradicate.
 

Kenny Mapes

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Is it a "rotten egg" smell? If no my reply is moot.

I am also in Florida the Fleck system you referenced seems to be for iron depending on the depth of the well the smell is most likely H2S (hydrogen sulfide,turns copper black)
My well is 550' deep the H2S is in water due to bacteria in the aquifer at that depth, to my knowledge you cannot "bleach" this out.
The smell of my water varies in intensity.

Does the pre-treated water have the sulfur smell?
Do both hot and cold have odor. If hot only it could be from the water heater anode reaction.

Found this on water treatment site. I do not work for nor endorse their products but I found it informative.

https://www.culligan.com/home/solut...o-treat-sulfur-water-and-reduce-the-rotten-eg
 

MichaelSK

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A couple of questions and points: if your well is a "deep" well (i.e. similar to what Kenny Mapes described), then sanitizing the well is a non starter. The hydrogen sulfide is in the aquifer. The katalox system is probably designed for that application. It's possible the katalox needs an oxidizer.

Chlorine can be used to "regenerate" and is bactericidal, however some folks may be concerned about disinfection by-products (you would have to make a determination about organic material in water that would react with the chlorine). Other folks use a H2O2 - type oxidizer that is also bactericidal.

Importantly, if you have a conventional water softener (cation exchange resin), then it's important NOT to use bleach to "sterilize" the resin bed because the resin will significantly degrade. I use peracetic acid (you can purchase it at some farm stores that service commercial farmers - it's used as a bactericide/bacteristatic on fruit and produce and to clean packing equipment.

If you do not have a water softener, then the chlorine bleach works well - and is cheap. BTW, you don't need much bleach (do a Google search). Some variables to consider are: volume of water (vessels, piping), presence of organic material (e.g. slime), temperature (Florida - nominal 72 F), dwell time. It's possible that you will need to add a proportional mixer of an oxidizer (chlorine based - NaClO, hydrogen peroxide based) if the problem reoccurs.

Regarding slime in the system, pull the anode in the hot water heater..... Florida water in general has iron and sulfur metabolizing bacteria that feast on the sulfur and iron, and they enjoy bathing in 120 F warm water. There are solutions, but it takes a little thought and coordination.

Do a Google search on: disinfection byproducts in drinking water ( haloacetic acids (HAA) and trihalomethanes (THM)) good luck.
 

Reach4

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A couple of questions and points: if your well is a "deep" well (i.e. similar to what Kenny Mapes described), then sanitizing the well is a non starter.
I disagree with some of your points, but let's start with that. I don't define "non starter" as meaning "not a complete long term solution". It could be that you would find your disinfection attempts more effective if you used a flooding volume to get into the aquifer a bit. I am expecting to go a few years between disinfections. I am sure I can get two years; maybe I will get 10. TBD.
The hydrogen sulfide is in the aquifer.
If it is, the sanitizing can still cut down on the H2S by knocking down SRB. In addition, the sanitizing can kill other stuff including what you call "slime".

Chlorine can be used to "regenerate" and is bactericidal, however some folks may be concerned about disinfection by-products (you would have to make a determination about organic material in water that would react with the chlorine). Other folks use a H2O2 - type oxidizer that is also bactericidal.
H2O2 is bactericidal but not as much as bleach. So you would need higher concentrations and/or longer times.



Importantly, if you have a conventional water softener (cation exchange resin), then it's important NOT to use bleach to "sterilize" the resin bed because the resin will significantly degrade. I use peracetic acid (you can purchase it at some farm stores that service commercial farmers - it's used as a bactericide/bacteristatic on fruit and produce and to clean packing equipment.
You understand that the softener makers recommend bleach in lower levels than you use for well and pipe sanitizing. The softener should be in bypass during most of the sanitizing. That peracetic acid sounds interesting.

If you do not have a water softener, then the chlorine bleach works well - and is cheap. BTW, you don't need much bleach (do a Google search). Some variables to consider are: volume of water (vessels, piping), presence of organic material (e.g. slime), temperature (Florida - nominal 72 F), dwell time. It's possible that you will need to add a proportional mixer of an oxidizer (chlorine based - NaClO, hydrogen peroxide based) if the problem reoccurs.
In using bleach, pH is important too. See https://terrylove.com/forums/index....izing-extra-attention-to-4-inch-casing.65845/ Regarding mixing bleach and peroxide, I am not sure of that. H2O2 is an acid, and bleach is alkali. What will happen? Maybe you know. I don't.
Regarding slime in the system, pull the anode in the hot water heater..... Florida water in general has iron and sulfur metabolizing bacteria that feast on the sulfur and iron, and they enjoy bathing in 120 F warm water. There are solutions, but it takes a little thought and coordination.
Removing the anode can cut down on H2S in the hot water a lot, but you lose protection of your WH. A good powered anode with a long electrode gives the best of both.

Do a Google search on: disinfection byproducts in drinking water ( haloacetic acids (HAA) and trihalomethanes (THM)) good luck.
Understand that after disinfection, you flush out the well and plumbing of the chlorine bleach and resulting byproducts.
 
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MichaelSK

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Reach4, I was thinking of an artesian well with positive hydrostatics that we have in several parts of Florida (nonstarter). I don't have an artesian; I treated my well with bleach and the effect lasted about 2 months (have water to air heat pump). Regarding pH, you are correct, however much of Florida has SO much carbonates it would be very difficult to effectively counter the buffer and reduce the pH to the 5 - 5.5 range you recommend. Probably better to monitor the free chlorine levels. I DO NOT recommend mixing bleach and peroxides. I was thinking one of the other - first use the peracetic acid[C2H4O3] (not acetic acid) on the water softener, then flush it to the yard; then use the bleach on the piping and hot water heater, then flush with softened water.

Reach4 - see my post about question re submersible main line reset popping off - any helpful insights? thanks in advance
 
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