Bypass all water treatment devices such as water softener, iron
removal, etc.
Shut off hot water tank.
Thoroughly clean bored or dug wells removing all floating debris.
Scrub or hose foreign material from the well cribbing or casing and
pump the well until water runs clear.
Pump 1350L (300 gallons) of water into clean storage close to the
well and allow the well to return to its non-pumping level.
Pour 4.5L (1 gallon) of regular household bleach into the well.
Mix 28L (6 gallons) of regular household bleach into the 1350L of
stored water. Lower a clean hose down the well as far as possible
and allow the stored solution to siphon into the well.
Allow the well to return to its non-pumping level. This procedure
forces the 1350L of solution into the well and the surrounding
aquifer, treating a reservoir of water much larger than the storage
capacity of the well.
Open each faucet on the water system and let it run until the
water at the outlet has a chlorine odour.
Leave the chlorinated water in the plumbing system for at least 8
hours then open an outside tap and let the water run on to the
ground surface until all of the chlorine odour has disappeared.
Backwash all filters and softeners and flush the hot water tank.
Put water treatment systems back on line and turn on the hot water
tank.
Before using the well water for consumption, it is recommended that
further bacteriological analysis be carried out. After disinfecting
the well it is suggested that you wait at least 2 days before
resampling. Please follow the sampling instructions provided with the
sample bottle.
Continued unsatisfactory bacteriological results may indicate
faulty well construction or contaminated groundwater. As contamination
may be intermittent and may not be revealed by examination of a single
sample, frequent sampling is advised.
Temporary Disinfection Procedure:
While waiting for the report on the results of a bacteriological
analysis, it is advisable to observe either of the following
procedures before consumption:
- Boil water for 5 minutes.
- Chlorinate by adding 6 drops of regular liquid bleach/gallon
of water, stirring and allowing to stand for 30 minutes.
