How to Maintain your Well Water Quality

Despite the numerous campaigns directed at promoting various sources of healthy water, a well is still considered one of the purest and safest water sources available. However, if the well water quality is poor because the well was not properly maintained, the water can be contaminated, hence, hazardous to consume.

What Causes Well Water Contamination?
Problems with well water quality typically arise when the casing or cap gets damaged and admits polluted surface water to enter the well, causing potential contamination. The cap must also be securely attached to the casing in order to prevent insects and debris from finding a way into the well. Fissures in the walls of the well will gradually allow seepage, resulting into eventual water contamination.

Other minor factors can affect well water quality, which is why it is important to get the water tested at least once a year by a professional who can verify the presence of contaminants.

Know that shallow wells are at higher risk of contamination than deeper wells, older wells are at higher risk than newer wells, and dug wells are at higher risk than drilled wells.

Treating Well Water
Having a properly installed well is the initial step to sanitary water, but to ensure constant well water quality, action must be taken so that the water remains safe for human consumption. When treating well water, the key is to eliminate all contaminants.

Typical contaminants that may affect well water quality include:

• Iron, fluoride and hardness - the natural minerals found in aquifer.
• Coliform bacteria - caused by surface water entering the well.
• E. Coli bacteria - caused by human or animal waste filtering into the well.
• Pesticides - usually caused by spills or local spraying around the well.
• Iron bacteria - harmless bacteria that generate black slime and particles.

Common methods of treatment include:

• Chlorination - kills viruses and bacteria and can remove some forms of iron.
• Ozonation - can remove organic compounds, such as pesticides.
• Distillation - kills all microbes and can remove heavy metals and nitrates.
• Ultra-Violet - kills viruses and bacteria.
• Greensand Treatment - can help remove small amounts of iron and manganese.
• Reverse Osmosis - can remove sulphate, hardness, nitrates, microbes, dirt, and small amounts of various pesticides.
• Filters - can remove bacteria and parasites but not viruses; some types can help defend against some forms of particles.

Additional Helpful Information

• Regulation 903 states that you must maintain your well in order to keep out surface debris and other foreign materials.
• Shallow wells (less than 10 feet in depth) are highly vulnerable to contamination as the well water quality may change within hours or days after a rainstorm.
• Deep wells can be subject to contamination over an extended period of time as iron and manganese bacteria may rise to unacceptable levels.

Remember that treating well water may not be adequate to guarantee suitable and healthy drinking water. With time, changes must be made to the overall structure of the well to ensure it maintains the standard of well water quality.