Bacteria can contaminate a well without any difference in tastes or odor. Now you may analyze for unhealthy bacteria at home utilizing state-of-the art test kits. These kinds of low cost kits make it easy for anybody to keep an eye on their own home well drinking water supplies for contamination through consistent water testing of their water wells. Bacterial infections of drinking water sources can result from a number of sources.
Human as well as rodent waste products can be a principal source of bacteria in water. These sources of bacterial contamination consist of run-off out of yards, feedlots, pastures, canine runs, and other farm land areas where animal wastes are deposited. Bugs, rats or rodents or wildlife entering the well can also be sources of contaminants.
Some other sources include things like leaking coming from septic tanks as well as sewage treatment services. Bacterias from these sources will be able to enter wells which are either open on the surface, or don’t have water-tight casings or caps, or do not have a seal of grout in the space (the space between the wall of the well and the outside of the well casing).
Generally, there are three categories of coliform bacteria that will be searched for: total coliform, fecal coliform, and E. coli. The presence of total coliform, by itself, doesn’t imply that the resource is contaminated, but it can reveal that one if not more of the more serious types of harmful bacteria, such as fecal or E. coli bacteria, may be present. In many instances, whenever total coliform is detected, additional tests are performed to verify either the presence or absence of fecal or E. coli bacteria.
Wells which have recently been worked on can be polluted by the work which had been done. Introduction of coliform bacteria can occur from the tools that are used, drilling pipe, fluids used in the drilling and any number of other items used in drilling and servicing wells. Anything can happen such as tools or dirt falling down into the well while it is being worked on or even airborne particles being carried down into the well.
There are two basic ways coliform bacteria can get into a well. One is by the original drilling and installation of the pump. The other is when the well or pump is being repaired. Original drilling processes include the activities related to the original construction of the well, including the original pump installation. This represents the first and usually most severe exposure of the well to bacterial contamination. Because there are so many different ways to introduce bacteria into the system, the original well construction can often be the cause of an ongoing bacteria problem that can go on for many years.
It is important that all water used in the drilling process be chlorinated treated water or, at the very least, free from any bacteria or viruses. Thorough chlorination of the water should be done for all water used during drilling and before it is introduced into the well. It is important not to trust that the water used for drilling obtained from a neighboring well is free from bacteria. Chlorine of not less than 50 PPM (mg/L) should be added any water entering the well, no matter where the water came from. Equipment and tools lying on the ground or the bed of a service truck also represent excellent paths for bacteria or viral contamination. This equipment should be kept as dry and clean as possible, covered until needed, and washed down with a chlorinated solution before placing into the well.