Potable Water: How A New Well Is Sanitized To Meet Your Clean Water Needs

Access to potable water, or water that is fit to consume, is extremely important to maintain a healthy and fit life. If you are a Canadian native, then you are likely to utilize around 343 liters of water every single day. This consumption is two times the rate of other civilized nations, excluding the United States. Most of the water is supplied through the municipal system. In more secluded areas of the country, a water well may be required instead. If you have just moved to one of these areas, then you may need to have a new well installed. The drilling process is completed by a professional. Afterwards, the ground water must be transformed into potable water. Keep reading to find out about this water sanitization process.

Initial Sanitization

When the well is first drilled, the water must be shocked in much the same way that a pool is to kill bacteria, viruses, and mold spores. Chlorine is often used to do this in high concentrations. Often times, the well is measured to determine the amount of water in the well. This helps to make sure that just enough chlorine is poured inside to disinfect it.

A very simple method will likely be used to take this measurement. A washer or other weight is tied to a string and dropped into the well until the weight hits the bottom. The string is then pulled back up a small amount and either a piece of tape or a marker is used to mark where the string first becomes wet. The entire wet part of the string is then measured to find the water depth. The diameter of the well is then measured and the number of gallons within is figured out. Around one-half gallon of chlorine is added to the well for every five gallons of water.

To reduce splashing concerns, the chlorine is usually poured into a bucket filled with water, and it is then added to the well. The chlorine is left to sit for about 24 hours. The well cap is usually secured on the well at this time to prevent debris from getting inside. Once the 24 hours are up, then you will be asked to run the faucets in your home until you can no longer smell any chlorine.

Testing the Water

A week or two after the sanitization is completed, you will be asked to test the water in the well. This is required to make sure that the initial sanitization successfully killed all of the bacteria. You can take a sample and send it to a state laboratory, or your well or potable water specialist can do this for you. State facilities can test for a wide variety of different things. However, bacterial testing is likely all that is needed when a well is first established.

If the test indicates that there are coliform bacteria within the well, then another chlorine treatment will be needed. Both testing and sanitization will occur until test results show that your well water is safe to drink. In the meantime, you will generally be advised to boil water before use. Doing this for at least one minute will kill the microorganisms in the water.

Water Filtration System

When your well is first created, then the water will also be pumped through a filtration system. Some filtration systems can be purchased that will help to remove the iron, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur from the well water. However, some systems can also be utilized to sanitize it as well. This is true of units that contain UV lights that kill bacteria. Some filters can remove sediment and a variety of other contaminants too.

Your potable water specialist can provide suggestions on the best unit for your needs. Sometimes, these systems will require a variety of different tanks to complete the various processes that are required to provide your home with clean water. For example, one part of the unit may soften the water by removing minerals, while another will kill bacteria and a third will use several filters to make sure sediment is caught. While you're preparing your well for safe use, you can havepotable water shipped in for drinking and other uses. 


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