Well Stink

[Rshackleford]

I guess my though was to begin with simple chlorination. Using pellets dropped by hand, mixing granulars in a bucket, or even chlorine bleach. Observation after chlorination could determine if the treatment is a success. As far as chlorinated water, millions of people live with it in town. I don’t think that it would be a big deal. I would guess that most people living with well water have a separate supply source whether it is a small ro system or bottled water. As for the rust, I don’t believe that a filter would be needed if the bacteria were not allowed to grow.

The well owner might also find that occasional shock chlorination is sufficient to control the sulfur bacteria problem.

I would agree that people might not like a chlorinator sticking up in their yard; however maintenance and cost on one of these units might be less then on a water treatment system.

I guess my main point is, that IMO, people should start with correcting the problem at the source. This experimentation would be inexpensive. If well treatment does not work then exploring inline treatment would be the next step.

 

[Bob NH]

Cartridge Filters

Disposable cartridge filters are not going to work well at all.
Gary Quality Water Associates

One of the problems with cartridge filters is that people don't put in enough filter area.

I install systems for people who use water from large ponds and small lakes for seasonal residential facilities that are public water supplies because they serve more than 25 people for more than 60 days per year. Most of my systems are in places where people have spent $thousands on dry holes or low producing wells that don't meet their needs. The treatment standard has been 99.9% removal or inactivation (kill) of giardia lamblia. I use sodium hypochlorite chlorination (bleach) in addition to the filters with contact time typically 40 minutes.

I put in enough area so they install new cartridges in the spring and throw them away at the end of the season. A typical unit handles 300,000 gallons of water (about 3 years of use for a typical family) that is several times dirtier than water from a drilled well. The cartridges cost about $0.20 per 1000 gallons of water.

The regulators are now getting concerned about cryptosporidium, especially after more than 2000 people were infected in August 2005 at Seneca Lake State Park in New York at a recreational (not drinking water) facility. For crypto removal most of my customers will add the Harmsco Poly Pleat "1 micron absolute" filter in series with the cartridge filter that meets the giardia standard and also takes care of turbidity.

The filter housings for the Harmsco are pretty inexpensive. I can sell a housing for a 4.5" x 20" cartridge for $50 and two of them should meet the needs of most households. I have not tested the cartridges with sulfur or iron so I don't know what the life would be in that service. Neither do I know what the capital or annual cost of a backwashable filter is for that application.

Most granular media filters don't do a great job on fine stuff unless chemical pretreatment is used. Milwaukee found that out when their chemical pretreatment got out of control and a bunch of people died. Google "milwaukee cryptosporidium" and look at the first few returns if you want to read that story.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Speedbump]

Gary,

You should read this article. It states that there are several ways that H2S is produced and not with the help of bacteria. It occurs by chemical/thermal and other things that I don't totally understand.
http://www.gaschem.com/evalu.html
It's a bit lengthy, but not too bad.

bob...

 

[Gary Slusser]

Bob, it sounds like all H2S is not caused by bacteria. That's if we are drilling or exploring for oil etc. at depths sufficient to produce 120-140 degs C; not F but C. If we are talking about groundwater, where the temp is much less... well as their picture shows, bacteria seem to be responsible.

Anyway, I didn't know that so I stand corrected.

BobNH, I do residential water treatment. When I say "whole house" or disposable cartridges, I and usually referring to 2.5" x 10" (nominal) filters/cartridges. Homeowners do not maintain them properly and in most cases misapply them. And I too can sell BB housings and cartridges but they are not suitable for my customers' needs when I'm oxidizing iron, manganese and H2S. Backwashed filters are the right choice and never need homeowner maintenance while they are totally automatic.

shack, I have shocked many wells and suggested it for years. I stopped about ten years ago due to the problems it can cause and its inability to solve hardly any problems; especially when the reason to do so is bacteria or gas related. In those cases it is rarely capable of any more than a short lived and temporary 'fix' that can actually cause reduction of well recovery/production over time.

I've done most of my water treatment, up to 99% of it, on well water. And even those 'city' folks that move to the country don't want chlorine in their water.

Gary
Quality Water Associates

 

[Rshackleford]

I will concede that results from chlorine treatment can be short lived. In fact, I would agree that the effects of chlorination will never be a permanent fix.

However, I disagree that chlorine treatment can cause a decrease in well efficiency. I don’t see any reason why a properly constructed well would ever see any thing but improved performance by frequent chlorination. How could cleaning the screened area and increasing flow area cause a decrease in well efficiency?

Don’t you think it is worth the well owner’s time to attempt chlorination at a cost of $30 a shot? If it works, great you have found a solution. If it doesn’t then move on to the next treatment option and you have at least shot down a few rust bacteria along the way.

Also, I think that most people can live with a day or two of light chlorine a few times a year

 

[Gary Slusser]

The way I learned what I'm saying is by studying the subject and first hand experience. A number of years ago I did the studying to get into well rehab and cleaning while attempting to treat the water quality problems in the well rather than with water treatment equipment in the house.

Here's two of the best places I've found to learn about this stuff.
http://www.designwater.com/literature.htm
http://www.designwater.com/PDF_Files/Diesinfection.pdf

http://www.groundwatersystems.com/

Gary
Quality Water Associates

 

[Rshackleford]

Thanks any opportunity to pick up new knowledge is appreciated.

 

[Speedbump]

There are a lot of things that go on somewhere near the center of the earth that no-one understands or can explain. All we have to go on is Google and try to believe what the experts say. It's all over my head anyhow.

The wells here are all rock wells, all lime rock. The biggest reason we chlorinate here is to get a passing result for the county health department. Since they are trying to save the world from itself. Most bad samples are labeled too numerous to count. In other words lots of bacteria. Not necessarily bad bugs but too many. If it is fecal, it's usually a shallow well or the guy that changed the pump last laid the droppipe down in a yard that a big dog lives in. That is why we stack our pipe through a stacking hoop on top of the mast.

I find that the deep wells here are all safe. 95% of them pass the bac-t and nitrate testing done.

bob...