Keeping well water clean and accessible means a couple of things. First, it means that it is tested and disinfected regularly. Secondly, and less known, it can also mean that a rotten egg smell is removed from the well. The smell is a cause of hydrogen sulfide gas in the water. It’s a smell that can’t be easily ignored. It also noticeably discolors coffee and tea. Though it’s not usually a health risk, it is something to be aware of. Once it reaches higher levels, it can make a person sick. This is why it’s important to
perform chlorination or disinfection in wells, towers, reservoirs, and other water sources.
Where does odor in well water come from?
In most cases, iron bacteria and sulfur bacteria are present in groundwater. Bacteria use this iron and sulfur as energy to turn into hydrosulfate. This can be found in decaying plants, rocks, soil, or an iron-rich environment. The harmless version of this bacteria exists in an oxygen-deficient environment such as deep wells or plumbing systems. This is the rotten egg smell that is sometimes detected in your home’s water.
How do you eliminate the odor?
There are several different ways to get rid of the odor found in water from your well. Most of these solutions are costly and temporary, though. There are carbon solutions, cartridge solutions, or getting a storage tank. But, the most effective, and favorite among water specialists is chlorination. Chlorine not only kills the smell, but it also kills any bacteria. As a solution, this gets rid of odor, iron, and manganese and sediment. It works best all in all for this problem. Other water specialists will agree with this method. Fortunately, it’s also a method that costs less in the long run. It can be a very fast and easy fix as well.
How are wells treated at Matt-Chlor?
Water from private wells provides water for about 40 million Americans each day. A contaminated water well sample doesn’t always mean that the whole aquifer is contaminated. However, when aquifers become contaminated they are difficult to clean up and meet drinking standards. At this point, well water needs to be chlorinated/disinfected. It’s a process that requires a chlorine solution to kill bacteria and microorganisms. Often, this happens when a new well is going to be used. Or, before using an existing well that may have been contaminated during a flood or maintenance. The smell is a good sign that something has gotten into your supply. Though it may not be harmful, like this rotten egg smell, it should still be looked at. Let a specialist perform a test and apply the right solution to the problem.
