Bleach to Water Ratios for Water Purifier Systems
Residential water wells are necessary for homes that are not connected to a city water system. Since these wells do not have the benefit of the city's filtration and purification systems, extra care must be taken to ensure that the water from your well is safe for your family. If you believe your well is contaminated, you can purify it using a simple bleach to water solution. Does this Spark an idea?
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Contaminants in Well Water
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There are many possible contaminants that can render well water unsafe, and wells should be frequently tested for the presence of pathogenic substances. A bleach solution will not remove every contaminating substance, but a bleach solution can be effective in removing disease-causing bacteria, nuisance bacteria, parasites and other micro-organisms, soluble iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide.
Bleach and Water Solution
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The North Dakota State University Extension recommends a bleach concentration 50 to 100 parts per million (ppm) with a contact time of at least 6 hours in order to ensure lethality to harmful substances. To know how much bleach is needed to achieve this concentration, you need to know the diameter of your well and the depth of the water inside it. For a well with a two inch diameter and a water depth of less than 50 feet, and using commercially available chlorine bleach for laundry, use 1/4 qt. of bleach and do not use any well water for at least 6 hours. For a 12 inch well with a water depth of 200 feet, you will need 4 qts. of bleach. Your well driller will often have information about the standing water in your well. See Resources for more information on determining concentrations.
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Application Tips
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Using bleach in this manner is known as "shocking" the well. Since bleach is corrosive to metal, mix the recommended amount of bleach in a solution of 12 parts water to one part bleach before adding it to your well. Pour the solution into the well, start the well and also run a garden hose into the well; at this point you should detect a chlorine odor from the water well. Then turn on every water tap in the home until you detect the same chlorine odor at that tap. At this point, let the bleach sit in the well for at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours. Flush out the system until the chlorine odor is no longer present. You may need to repeat shock chlorination as many times as is needed to ensure that your water is purified.
Other Considerations
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An alternative method to purify water systems using a bleach and water solution is by installing a continuous chlorination system. A continuous chlorination system uses a water pump or tank to regularly add a chlorine solution to a well. The amount of bleach solution to use in a continuous chlorination system depends on the size of the system as well as on the size and depth of the water source (as discussed above). If you purchase a continuous chlorination system, simply follow the manufacturer's recommendations as to the proper bleach to water solution.
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