Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing for chlorination
• Part 2 of 3: Chlorinating the well
• Part 3 of 3: Removing the chlorine
• Necessities

Your own well is a source of fresh water. Inside the well, all kinds of microorganisms settle against the concrete wall, which clean the rainwater well in a natural way. Adding chlorine bleach to well water will destroy the purifying microorganisms in the well, causing the water to lose its self-cleaning ability, and the well to start smelling.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Preparing for chlorination

1. Know when to chlorinate the well. In some cases it may be beneficial to chlorinate your well:
   • If harmful bacteria are present.
   • If you notice a change in the color, smell, or taste of the water, check for bacteria and chlorinate the well if the test is positive. You also need to identify which water constituent is responsible for the change in water quality, and take steps to treat the water so that anything that is unpleasant or unsafe is removed. The local environmental agency can guide you in this venture.
   • If the pit is new, recently repaired, or if new pipes have been installed.
   • If the well is contaminated by flood water, or if the water becomes muddy or cloudy after rainfall.
   • When you will no longer use the well and when it is a new well for you.
2. Gather the necessary materials.
   • Chlorine: of course you need chlorine to chlorinate your well. You can use HTH chlorine tablets or granules, but this article assumes you are using a 5% (or higher) solution of household chlorine bleach. Just make sure to use an odorless variety. You may need up to 38 liters of bleach, depending on the volume of water in the well and the strength of the bleach.
   • Chlorine test set: a chlorine test set can be used to measure the exact chlorine value in the water, instead of just having to rely on odor. These sets are typically used for swimming pools and can be purchased at any pool shop. Make sure to buy RTD liquid drops, rather than paper strips, as paper strips can only indicate the chlorine value that is ideal for swimming pools.
   • Garden hose: to recirculate the water in the well, you need a garden hose. Some sources recommend using a 13mm diameter hose instead of the standard 16mm size. If you can push the larger hose through the head of the well and past the wiring and pipes, it may be the better option as it allows for more water flow. You have to cut the male end of the hose at a sharp angle.
3. Calculate the volume of the well. To determine how much bleach you need to adequately disinfect your well, you need to calculate the volume it contains. To do this you must multiply the depth of the water column (in centimeters) by the number of liters per cubic centimeter. This value depends on the diameter of the well or the monitoring well (in centimeters).
   • To find out how deep the water is in the well, you need to measure the distance from the bottom of the well to the water line. First, turn off all power to the pump in the electrical box. Remove the cover from the pit or gain access to the pit through the ventilation opening. Use a strong flashlight to look into the well. Take medium weight fishing line and drop it into the water. The line will stay taut until the weight hits the bottom, after which it will hang limply. When this happens, retract the line and measure the wet part of the line with a tape measure.
   • You can also mark the line at the top of the well to measure the total depth of the well. Then subtract the distance between the top of the well and the waterline. You can do this by tying a short stick tightly to the line and lowering it into the well, marking the line when it starts to slack and measuring the length from the stick to the mark.
   • There should also be a rough measurement recorded on a plate attached to the plate surrounding the well. You could also contact the drilling company that made the well. In most cases, they must keep records of all the wells they have worked on. Another alternative is to contact the government agency responsible for wells and pumps intended for consumption.
   • The number of liters per cubic centimeter is related to the diameter of the monitoring well. This number must be recorded on the well log. Drilled wells are usually 10-25 cm in diameter, while hammered wells are 30-65 cm in diameter. Once you know the diameter of your well, you can use this table to find out how much water is in your well per cubic centimeter.
   • Now that you know how deep the water is in your well (in centimeters) and how much water is per cubic centimeter (in liters per centimeter) in your well, you can multiply these numbers to calculate the total water volume in the well . You will need 1,500 ml of 5% chlorine bleach solution for every 380 liters of water in the well, plus another 1,500 ml to treat the water in the water pipes in the house.
4. Plan not to be able to use the well water for at least 24 hours. The chlorination process takes time, usually one or two days. During this time, you cannot use the water from the well for your daily household needs, so it is important that you take this into account in your planning. A good time to chlorinate is just before you travel for a weekend or longer.
   • During the chlorination process, there is more chlorine in your water supply than there is in a pool, making it unsafe for consumption. In addition, the chlorine will get into your septic tank if you use too much water, which will kill the bacteria needed to break down the feces.
   • For these reasons, you should use bottled water for drinking and cooking, and avoid using your sink and shower. Also try to keep toilet flushing to a minimum.

Part 2 of 3: Chlorinating the well

1. Turn off the switch for the pump in the electrical box.
2. Open the vent hole or remove the cap from the test hole. Depending on the type of well, you may need to open the vent pipe to pour the chlorine into it.
   • The ventilation tube should be on the wellhead. It is usually 15 cm long with a diameter of 12 mm. Open the vent by twisting the tube off the seal.
   • You could also remove the cover from the top of the well, this may require removing a few screws.
3. Pour in the bleach. Once you have access to the pit, carefully pour the correct amount of bleach through a funnel into the opening, avoiding any electrical connections.
   • It is good to wear protective gloves, goggles, and an apron when handling undiluted bleach.
   • If bleach gets on your skin, rinse it off immediately with clean water.
4. Attach the hose. Attach the female end of the garden hose to the nearest faucet and insert the male end (cut at an angle) into the opening where the ventilation pipe was, or directly into the well.
   • If the hose is not long enough to reach the well, connect several hoses together.
5. Let the water recirculate. Make sure all connections are watertight before turning the power switch back on. Then let the water flow at full power. Let it circulate for at least an hour.
   • The flowing water from the hose forces the water at the bottom of the well to the surface, so that the chlorine is evenly distributed.
   • This ensures that any bacteria in the well water are exposed and killed by the chlorine.
6. Test for chlorine. After the water has circulated for at least an hour, you can test for chlorine in the water supply. You can do this in one of two ways:
   • Pull the hose out of the vent hole and use the chlorine test kit to test for the presence of chlorine in the water coming out of the hose.
   • You can also open a garden tap to determine if you can notice the smell of chlorine in the water.
   • If the chlorine test is negative, or if you don't smell chlorine in the water, circulate the water for an additional 15 minutes. Then check again.
7. Wash the walls of the well. Once you detect chlorine in the water, replace the hose and rotate it vigorously to rinse chlorine residue from the well walls and tubing. After you have done that for 10 to 15 minutes, turn off the hose and replace the vent tube.
8. Check for chlorine indoors. Go inside and check every sink, bath and shower for the presence of chlorine, using the test kit or your sense of smell.
   • Don't forget to check both the hot and cold faucets and also run any garden faucets until the chlorine smell is detected.
   • Also flush every toilet in the house once or twice.
9. Wait 12 to 24 hours. Let the chlorine sit in the water supply for at least 12 hours, but preferably 24 hours. Do your best to keep your water consumption to a minimum during this time.

Part 3 of 3: Removing the chlorine

1. Place as many hoses as possible. After 24 hours, the water is completely disinfected and you can start removing the chlorine from the water supply.
   • To do this, attach a hose to each garden tap and tie it to a tree or fence about three feet high. This makes it easier to keep an eye on the water flow.
   • Do not run the water near the septic tank or any drainage area, these areas should not be exposed to chlorinated water.
2. Let the water run at full power. Try to direct the flow of water in a trench or other place where the water is somewhat restricted.
   • Just make sure the trench does not run into a stream or pond, as chlorinated water will kill fish and other flora and fauna.
3. Check for the presence of chlorine. Periodically check the water coming out of the hoses for the presence of chlorine.
   • Use a chlorine test kit for this, as you may not be able to smell small amounts of chlorine.
4. Do not let the well run dry. As boring as it may be, it is important to keep a constant eye on the water flow to make sure the well does not run dry.
   • If the well runs dry, the pump can fail and it can be very expensive to replace. If it seems like the water pressure is decreasing, turn off the pump and wait an hour before continuing to drain. This gives the well a chance to refill itself.
   • Do not stop the water flow until then all traces away from chlorine - this can take as little as two hours or much longer depending on the well.

Necessities

• Chlorine bleach
• Chlorine test set
• Fishing line
• Garden hose