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HOW DO I CHLORINATE MY WELL? The typical domestic well should be chlorinated twice a year with a mild chlorine solution. Heavy chlorination is required whenever e-coli is detected in the water. Heavy chlorination is also required whenever the well is serviced and the sanitary well seal is opened to allow the pumping equipment to be pulled and serviced. State law requires all wells to be tested for contamination any time a home is sold. We recommend that the water be tested once a year. The water can be tested by the Parish Sanitarian or a home test kit can be purchased from CD&S. MILD CHLORINATION: The typical domestic well can be chlorinated by the homeowner in the following fashion. Purchase 2 gallons of “Chlorox” or “Purex” household bleach. This is a straight 5 ¼% sodium hypochlorite solution. DO NOT use bleach that has scented additives or any extra ingredients. DO NOT use “Chlorox II”. Usually the less expensive the bleach the better. Fill up the bathtub and several gallons of drinking water before you begin because the well will be out of service overnight. Go to the well and remove the well vent. This is the small ½” pipe with a 180 degree fitting on top of the well seal. Notice if the well vent is properly screened. A bug proof screen should be mounted on the end of the breather or well vent. Pour the two gallons of bleach down the well vent hole in the well seal. (You will probably need a funnel.) Refill the containers with clean water and pour two gallons of clean water behind the bleach. Replace the vent and let the chlorine set overnight in the well. CAUTION EVERYONE NOT TO DRINK OR WASH. It is permissible to flush the toilet or wash your hands but try not to run any water until morning. The next morning open all taps and let the chlorinated water run through the piping system. This will also clean out your household plumbing system. Too much chlorinated water in your sewer system could damage the bacterial decomposition in your sewage treatment system. The bulk of the chlorinated water needs to be run outside through a garden hose where it can run off and not pond or create a nuisance. Several hours of flushing may be necessary to assure that all chlorine has been pumped out of the system. DO NOT drink any water until all chlorine is flushed from the system. Do not wash any clothes that are sensitive to chlorine until ALL chlorine is flushed out of the system. Be careful in dealing with the chlorinated wastewater. Some fish and animals are more sensitive to low levels of chlorinated water than humans. HEAVY CHLORINATION: The typical domestic well should probably be chlorinated by a drilling contractor if heavy chlorination is required. Usually 3 to 10 pounds of calcium hypochlorite are used in powder and tablet form. If the tablet form is used the chlorination is usually more effective but it takes much longer to flush the chlorine out of the system. Sometimes multiple treatments are necessary to properly treat the problem. The same precautions should be taken overnight and the next day when flushing the well as with the procedure in “light chlorination” only it may take much longer to completely flush all of the chlorine out of the system. Remember that your well is chlorinated for your protection. Clean, safe water has done more to increase the actuarial lifespan of mankind than all medical research combined. The drilling contractor as well as the homeowner are all working together to keep drinking water safe for human consumption. A few items that you as a homeowner can do are: 1. Make sure your well casing is properly cemented. State law requires a minimum of 10 feet of grout around the outside of the casing to prevent surface water contamination from yard wastes, herbicides, etc. Continental Drilling recommends full depth grouting all the way down to the top of the aquifer if possible. 2. Make sure your casing is extended at least 12” above ground level (State sanitary code rule). In areas of flooding make sure your casing is at least 12” above the 100 year flood plain. 3. Make sure your well seal on top of your casing is water tight and sealed properly. Make sure that the electrical wires coming out of the well seal are sealed with either a compression rubber fitting or silicone. Make sure the vent pipe is 12” above the well seal, turned down and properly screened with bug proof screen wire. 4. Make sure that any old or abandoned wells not in use are properly plugged and abandoned (DOTD state law). These old wells can provide a direct conduit for contamination to enter your aquifer. NEVER use an old well to dispose of anything- especially those items listed in below in section #5. (I have seen items listed below stored in an old shed with an abandoned well. The well casing was cut off flush with the floor, the pump had been removed and no cap was over the casing. Several containers that no longer had labels were leaking on the floor!) 5. Sensibly dispose of old paint, motor oil, herbicides, fertilizer, etc. Remember that the well house should not be a storage place for hazardous chemicals! (Unfortunately many are used for just such a purpose.) Remember that a good well is your most important asset at your home. Take care of it. If you have any questions, contact Continental Drilling & Service, Inc. 318-221-4273.
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