Well Filtration help

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Craig Martinsen

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I have a well that produces pretty "bad" water. The water has a red/yellow tint to it, lots of sediment, at times smells of rotten eggs and tastes bad. The analysis on the water is:
Sodium - 55 ppm, 2.40 meq/l
Calcium - 119 ppm, 5.97 meq/l
Magnesium - 42 ppm, 3.52 meq/l
Potassium - 5 ppm, 0.13 meq/l
Carbonate - 0
Bicarbonate - 556 ppm, 9.11 meq/l
Chloride - 45 ppm, 1.26 meq/l
Sulfate-S - 5.7 ppm, 0.05 meq/l
Nitrate - 0.74 ppm, 0.05 meq/l
Phosphate - 0.037 ppm, 0 meq/l
Boron - 0.45 ppm, 0.13 meq/l
pH 6.8 SU
ECw 1.2 dS/m
Cation/Anion ratio 1.10
SAR 1.10
Hardness - 470 mg equiv. CaCO3/L
Arsenic 0.003 ppm
Iron 0.94 ppm

Currently, I have (in order of filtration moving toward the house):
  • Sediment Filter at the wellhead that purges daily (Spindown type)
  • Membrane Sediment 20-micron
  • 4x20 20-micron Sediment Filter
  • 4x20 5-micron Sediment Filter
  • 4x20 Iron & Manganese Filter
  • 4x20 Carbon Filter
  • 4x20 Salt-free water softening membrane (NuvoH2O Cartridge)
  • 12gpm UV filter
The house and well sat unused for about 8 months and I Chlorinated it prior to occupying the house again. I followed the procedure of adjusting the pH down to about 6 with Citric Acid and Vinegar, added bleach and recirculated the water back to the well for about 45min and then into the house. I did this as there was black algae growing in the toilet tanks and I suspected it might be due to an iron bacteria.

I have a 1500 gallon water holding tank that I currently do not use, I've considered cycling water into this tank, chlorinating it, letting it settle out and then using that to pump into the house.

Truthfully I'm out of ideas and I'm looking for feedback on how to address the water from this well before I add any more "stuff" to the system.
 

Valveman

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I can help you with the cistern and booster pump, but moving this to the softener forum where more eyes will see it.
LOW YIELD WELL_ CENTRIFUGAL_PK1A.jpg
 

Reach4

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I am not a pro.

Take a white bucket of yellow water. Add some liquid bleach. Does the yellow clear up? I am thinking maybe a tablespoon of bleach. Bleach will oxidize the iron out of solution, and it will fall down as rust particles (ferric iron). I am hoping the yellow is iron, but I don't know that you have enough iron to account for turning the water yellow. Tannins can turn water yellow, but I think those are usually with shallow wells.

4x20 cartridge filters are not going to remove much iron. They will not soften water for a house. You will need at least a water softener, and maybe more. A water softener can also remove iron, but will take some extra periodic cleaning. Still, a nice way to do it.

When you sanitized your well and plumbing, did you include the WH? H2S can be generated in water heaters. Also note if the H2S is more in the hot water.

How deep is your well, and what diameter, and how deep is the pump set? I ask these because it can affect how you sanitize. https://terrylove.com/forums/index....izing-extra-attention-to-4-inch-casing.65845/ is my sanitizing write-up. You may have seen that, but you did not mention a flooding volume.
 

Bannerman

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Post a scan/photo of the entire lab report.

Cartridge filters will be too small for a point of entry apllication for anything beyond simple sedinment filtration.

@ 470 ppm hardness, that is ~27.5 grains per gallon hardness which will require an actual water softener to remove.

You mention hydrogen sulfide gas (rotten egg odor) and possible iron reducing bacteria. A possible treatment method will be chlorine injection which will also oxidize the iron so it maybe filtered out prior to the softener.
 

Craig Martinsen

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Thanks Reach4,
I actually followed your EXCELLENT guide, thanks for sharing that and putting it together. The well is a 4" casing, 200' deep and the pump is set at about 180'. I used about 40 gallons for the flood.

A 5 gallon bucket clears up with a tablespoon of bleach added, there is sediment (like a very fine silt) that accumulates at the bottom of the bucket.

I did not include the water heater other than running water through it after sanitizing the well casing. This likely wasn't enough to completely refill the tank though. In the past I've drained it and run a high pH solution cycled through it (and few times I cycled CLR through it).

I used to have a water softener at the end of a smaller set of filters and it did help, but the maintenance on it was challenging during a period while I rented out the house. Maybe the system I had (one of the larger GE's from HD) wasn't the most effective or best system.

I'm trying to step back from the system and look at it as a whole instead of just adding another component and your feedback really helps. Thank you.

I am not a pro.

Take a white bucket of yellow water. Add some liquid bleach. Does the yellow clear up? I am thinking maybe a tablespoon of bleach. Bleach will oxidize the iron out of solution, and it will fall down as rust particles (ferric iron). I am hoping the yellow is iron, but I don't know that you have enough iron to account for turning the water yellow. Tannins can turn water yellow, but I think those are usually with shallow wells.

4x20 cartridge filters are not going to remove much iron. They will not soften water for a house. You will need at least a water softener, and maybe more. A water softener can also remove iron, but will take some extra periodic cleaning. Still, a nice way to do it.

When you sanitized your well and plumbing, did you include the WH? H2S can be generated in water heaters. Also note if the H2S is more in the hot water.

How deep is your well, and what diameter, and how deep is the pump set? I ask these because it can affect how you sanitize. https://terrylove.com/forums/index....izing-extra-attention-to-4-inch-casing.65845/ is my sanitizing write-up. You may have seen that, but you did not mention a flooding volume.
 

Craig Martinsen

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Thanks Bannerman,

I tried to post the picture but only have it as a PDF... I couldn't figure out how so I typed it my first post. If there is a method I'm missing to post it I'm happy to.

I've seen a couple different ways to approach chlorine injection and would love some tips on implementation.
Method 1 is to have an accumulator tank with inlet/outlet (instead of the 1 outlet on a pressure tank) and inject at a set rate in parallel with the pressure switch. Basically if the pump kicks on the injector pump starts flowing. I also saw a reference to using a flow meter and adjusting the flow based on that.

Method 2 is to have a large holding tank (I currently have a 1500 gallon tank plumbed in between the well/pressure tank & filter house, yes I have a little shed just for my filters :)) and the bleach is metered into the tank based on the float switch.

My current system is well/pump -> 80 gallon pressure tank -> Spin Down sediment filter (purges each evening) -> Tee to Irrigation manifold -> 20 micron filter -> Bypass valve to 1500 gallon tank/12v pressure pumps (I'm currently bypassing the large tank & RV pumps directly going into the filter manifold) -> 5 filters all 4x20 listed above -> UV filter -> 20 gallon pressure tank -> pressure regulator > house

Is there a water softener and/or chlorine injection system that is recommended?

Post a scan/photo of the entire lab report.

Cartridge filters will be too small for a point of entry apllication for anything beyond simple sedinment filtration.

@ 470 ppm hardness, that is ~27.5 grains per gallon hardness which will require an actual water softener to remove.

You mention hydrogen sulfide gas (rotten egg odor) and possible iron reducing bacteria. A possible treatment method will be chlorine injection which will also oxidize the iron so it maybe filtered out prior to the softener.
 
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