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Yes, you are correct. Clorax is stronger than cheaper brands. Actually has an added polymer, polyacrylate, which acts like a sponge to remove and hold the iron keeping it from reacting with the sodium hypochlorite. But clorex should be kept away from eye and skin, it can be harmfull.

Thats pretty interesting how you pump to a 55 gal drum ; did you do this yourself or was it like this when you bought the place ? Ill bet you get some good water pressure with 55 gallons overhead like that. Does it get run thru a filter at all ? If not, does it have any effect on your skin after a while ??

Dave

Originally posted by hvacfella
'how often do/can you do this?? i have a deep well too - around 175' - just poor it right in the cap?? about how many gallons?? and alst but not least - does it have ot be chlorox??
'

ME: I did this last winter. I mixed ONE gallon of liquid chlorox bleach with 5 gallons of water in a pail..then poured it down . I ran the water thru all the faucets including the hot...for about 2 minutes, then i started to get a very strong smell. The strong smell lasted for about a WEEK and traces of it for about 2.5 weeks. Next time i do it, ill only use 1/3 gallon of bleach. The amount depends on your well capacity, but, if you go to your states Health Dept. website, youll find suggestions on 'Well Disinfecting' there . Illinois' had a chart for the amount of bleach to use. I think its a good idea to do it once a year ; kills bacteria and funky smells like iron and rustyness.

Up to my camp I have a 300 gal. cistern in the ground to collect rain water. We then pump this water up to a 55 gal drum in the attic. This is enough to run the toilet and shower and do the dishes. For cooking and drinking we bring 5 gallons from home. But I pour a cup of cholrox into this 300 gallons and it keeps the bacteria from smelling bad.

I just have to remember to tell a visitor "don't drink the water."

If I remember right on the back of the Cholrox bottle they have instructions on how to clorinate a well. Cholrox is stronger then the cheaper brands.

'how often do/can you do this?? i have a deep well too - around 175' - just poor it right in the cap?? about how many gallons?? and alst but not least - does it have ot be chlorox??
'

ME: I did this last winter. I mixed ONE gallon of liquid chlorox bleach with 5 gallons of water in a pail..then poured it down . I ran the water thru all the faucets including the hot...for about 2 minutes, then i started to get a very strong smell. The strong smell lasted for about a WEEK and traces of it for about 2.5 weeks. Next time i do it, ill only use 1/3 gallon of bleach. The amount depends on your well capacity, but, if you go to your states Health Dept. website, youll find suggestions on 'Well Disinfecting' there . Illinois' had a chart for the amount of bleach to use. I think its a good idea to do it once a year ; kills bacteria and funky smells like iron and rustyness.

Originally posted by hvacfella
[B]Looking at his septic field now..id say its more like 20 yards away from my well with the street seperating it.[ [B]

Isn't there some sort of requirment from the local health department that wells and leach fields must be seperated by some minimum distance to avoid contamination? If your well is that close to his field, You may already be contaminated from before the rain.

in the little town I live near

wells are only about 25' deep (water is so close no one has basements). The water is continually moving toward the Platte River about ¼ mile away and 20" below them. The towns about 15 houses deep moving away from the river. So thats the order of their systems. first a well, then a septic, and every 100' another well and septic again and again. When I tell them folks they're full of shit- well I mean it.

Originally posted by benncool
[B]When you can smell the Cholrox at the tap then you have enough Bleach in the well./B]

benncool - how often do/can you do this?? i have a deep well too - around 175' - just poor it right in the cap?? about how many gallons?? and alst but not least - does it have ot be chlorox??

thanks for the tip.

The town here had a small subdivision of 40+ houses that has been there quite a while. The last few yrs 2/3 of them came up with contaminated wells all from each others septic systems. Some had low enough bacteria count that chlorine injected water conditioners took care of it until the town could pipe several million $ in water main out to them.

No more water bacteria, just $60 water bills.

Thanks for the replies. My wellhead is a good 12" above the ground . I put bleach down the well about 4 months ago , but, i better do it again since this rain was a huge amount and continual . Looking at his septic field now..id say its more like 20 yards away from my well with the street seperating it.

The water doesnt taste or smell foul, but ill put bleach down just to be sure.

My well is pretty deep at approx. 160 feet.

Dave

I lived in an old house once. It was our septic leaking into our well. You could smell it in the water. It was a shallow well so I ended up putting in another deep well as far away as possible from the septic.

Until things settle down in the ground I would buy my cooking and drinking water. Pour some Cholrox in your well. When you can smell the Cholrox at the tap then you have enough Bleach in the well.

Seeing as you didn't have any problem before the unusual amount of rain it is reasonable to assume that when the water table gets back to normal your well will be alright. An oz. of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

You need to make sure your well casing extends 6" to 12" above high flood point. A well co. can do this.

'we lived in a small town were some of the homes used old wells and cisterns as there septic tanks,yuk,,
'

ME: Well..i guess its better than the other way around !!

Ill get my water tested i think, especially after this enormous street flooding incident . Thanks.

good chance,sent a sample to a private testing co.,if you use the state they may force someone to change something,like you move your well.most small towns have this problem,thats why they push folks into hookin onto city water&sewer.we lived in a small town were some of the homes used old wells and cisterns as there septic tanks,yuk,,,

I live in an area where everyone is on well and septic. My neighbor across the street from me (kitty Korner to me)..has his septic tank and field in his front yard. I have my Well in my front yard- the distance is perhaps is 40 yards. We have had relentless rains here in illinois for the past 2.5 weeks. OUr street was flooded, under 18 inches of water for a couple days . Im concerned if there is any chance of his septic contaminating my well since the street flood did reach my wellhead. His septic field was not totally submerged, but had alot of water on it.

When i moved in here 2 years ago, i had the water tested for bacteria..and there was none. I do have a $60 waterfilter on my system which does remove some bacteria.

Anyway, whats the chance of my well being contaminated from his septic ? Should i have my water tested just to be safe. ? If you have experience with well and septic, please respond.

Thanks, Dave