Treating Well Water

PRE-TREATING PRIVATE WELL SYSTEMS

HAVING IRON BACTERIA --Before you put the dispensing system together and install it, chlor- inate the well if it contains more than 10 parts per million (ppm) of bacterial iron. Use the following steps.

NOTE: If you don't chlorinate the well, you may have iron in your water for up to 2 months after you install the solution dispensing system

1_ For each 50 gallons of water in the well, pour 1

quart of ordinary household bleach into it. On some wells, you can pour the bleach through the breather pipe. On others, you may have to remove the well seal

NOTE: You will probably have to estimate how much water is in the well and use atrial and error

method of treatment, or else ask a qualified well technician.

,&CAUTION: This much chlorine, at one time, could exhaust the activated carbon in a taste and odor filter° If you have a taste and odor filter in your water system, by pass it to keep the chlorine out while doing this pre4reating.

2.Pour several gallons of water into the well to flush the bleach down to the water level

3 Open all faucets in the house, 1 at a time. Close each faucet when you can smell the bleach• Keep the water system closed for a minimum of 2 hours If possible, keep closed overnight

4.After 2 hours, or the next morning, open all faucets and let the water run until clear and the bleach odor is gone

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

TOOLS NEEDED --You will need common and

cross point (Phillips) screw drivers, a slip-joint pliers, tape measure or rule, and a sharp knife.

Depending on the kind of pipes you have in your

house, other tools you may need are ....

. .for SOLDERED COPPER --tubing cutter, propane torch, solid-core solder, paste flux, emery cloth, sandpaper or steel wool

.....for THREADED PIPE-- hacksaw or pipe cutter,

pipe wrenches, pipe threading tool, pipe joint compound

•. •for CPVC PLASTIC -- hacksaw, adjustable wrench, solvent cement, fine emery cloth.

MATERIALS -- Depending on where and how you

install the Solution Dispensing System (page 7), you may have all the things needed. Things not included with the systemthatyoumayneedare••

If you have to install an electrical outlet (page 11), you will need materials meeting electrical

wiring codes, rWire, outlet box, receptacle, wire nuts or tape, etc.

. • Jf you will pump solution directly into the well (see pages 7 and 8) you may need more tubing Read the note under step 2 on page 8

•• •If you will pump solution into the water system between the well pump and pressure tank (see

pages 7 and 10), you may need some of the pipe fittings shown in FIG. 6, page 10