All,
I'm just looking for any common experience or insight from you all with some well issues. I've been on wells before, but never had a single problem. By the way we're drinking bottled water until I get this all sorted out.
I have a new well that was shocked after drilling it, about 6 mos ago, and it passed the county ecoli test. We got 30 gals per minute! Neighbors well, at a similar depth about 200 yards away, therefore probably same aquafer, is pure as can be, so we expect the same. Life is good.
The vitals: 250 feet deep, 6 inch diameter, steel casing down to bedrock at 50 ft, PVC casing the rest of the way, static water level at 45 feet. 30 gal/min. I estimate about 300 gallons of capacity in the well. This is all very typical for our area, the flow rate might be a little better than average (south west of Raleigh, NC).
Problem #1: We noticed a sulfer smell, equally strong in hot and cold water. After doing research, guessed that it was due to "iron bacteria", and that another chlorine shock was called for.
So I shocked it this weekend, using 2 gallons of 6% bleach. I recirculated the water back down the casing for several hrs, ran all the spigots in the house, and let it set overnight.
Now, to purge the chlorine. Next night I hooked up a hose at the well head, and ran it for 4 hours. I estimate that I'm getting about 5 gal/minute out of the hose, so I should have refreshed the whole well about 4 times. Also purged the hot water tank, and pressure tank.
Problem #2: the water STILL reeks of chlorine
Next night, run the hose at the well head, but ALSO run a hose out of a house spigot, now I'm flushing maybe 8+ gallons/ minute. Do this for another 4 hours.
Problem #3: The water still reeks of chlorine, AND there is some serious sandy sediment coming up. We've had minor sediment all along, but now the waters brown. No indication that the well is dry, or the pump is above water.
Any ideas? Keep flushing? It's almost time to call in the expert$, but I'm trying to avoid it.
And I almost forgot the unrelated Problem #4: Had the county run additional water tests for pesticides, and petrolium, and organics. All is negative, except for 2 organics. "tetrahydrafuran" @ 4 ug/liter and "MEK" @ 8 ug/liter. It seems that these are reasonably small amounts, AND there happen to be the primary ingrediants of PVC cleaner, and cement. So I assume these are due to the PVC casing, or the PVC pipe from the well head to the house. I haven't been able to get any informed answers locally. Anyone think this is the cause? or am I on the wrong track?
So now I have sandy water that smells like chlorine. I hope the sulpher smell is gone at least...
Any ideas are appeciated!
Mike