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A common problem faced by all private well owners is how to maintain the well water so it is safe for external as well as internal use. Any kind of disease-causing bacteria is an unwanted situation for anybody who wants to keep their well water up and running for a long time.
Coliform bacteria are usually deemed harmless bacteria because they naturally occur within the bodies of all warm-blooded animals. They are also found in wet environments such as soil, and vegetation but there is an exception, they are not naturally found in the underground water zones.
Another type of coliform bacteria is the total coliform which is found in the soil where the surface has been affected by moisture in some way. In-ground or well water, the water can be affected by the home septic tanks or any other seepage in the soil which gives way to coliform bacteria as well as other waterborne disease-causing bacteria.
There will be two different tests that will determine if your well water has been affected by the coliform, specifically the type which causes disease in any way. The first one will determine the presence of coliform bacteria and the second test will look for the E.coli bacteria which are usually found in the gut or faecal matter of humans as well as animals.
The second type of coliform bacteria is more alarming because the diseases usually emerge from cases like this and have more chances of being highly contagious.
So the solution is to not get scared immediately and give time for testing in order to proceed to the next step which is problem-solving. Do not consider getting costly water treatments unless you are aware of the problem at hand. Also, if you feel like the well water is causing you any health trouble, avoid consuming it at once and wait until the problem has been solved.
Cost To Treat Coliform In Well Water – All You Need To Know
Following are some treatments you can consider for getting rid of coliform in well water;
Testing Kits
If you are feeling confident enough and know the basic requirements and knowledge to conduct the well water test for yourself then there are numerous DIY water tests available on the market which will help determine the quality of the drinking water in your well and identify any possible bacterial presence.
The process is quite simple & easy and anyone with a piece of basic knowledge can do it. All you have to do is get a sample from your well water in a container.
Now dip the testing strip into the water for around five seconds maximum and place the testing strip on another clean surface and let it stay there for a minute or two. The result will guide you on what to do next; usually, the safety colour should be indicated with the test kit and after getting your testing strip result, you can compare the quality of your water.
Remember that this is only preliminary data that you will get which will only indicate the presence of contaminants and will not determine the level or what kind of bacteria are present. But overall, it costs around thirty to fifty dollars which is an inexpensive way.
Private Lab
A better and safe option is the testing of the well water through a private and trusted lab which will give you more comprehensive results and a professional opinion about what is to be done in order to get rid of the coliform bacteria in your well water.
A private lab testing is essential in case if you are new to an area or a house where there is built-in well water or you have recently installed it to have it checked by a professional is the best idea because if you are using the water for drinking, it is important that it is disease and bacteria-free.
A lab testing will probably check the well water throughout, so keep in mind that an all-over water testing may be more costly because you will get results for the entirety of the presence of microorganisms or bacteria in your well water instead of specific concerns.
For just checking and testing out the coliform presence in water, you can have it tested by a specialist who will provide you with tests for your concern about the coliform or E.coli bacteria in your well water. Though it depends on the lab you are getting the test done from, an overall test is more expensive and can cause around five hundred dollars while a specific test may be around 30 to 100.
Chlorination
Most of you would be aware of the process of chlorination as the cost-efficient and simplest method to disinfect water from all kinds of impurities and contaminants in one go.
It is a widely used method around America and is by far the best one because it is already conducted by a lot of government-certified water treatment plants before the water reaches the supply system of your house.
If you own a well, you will need to use the method of chlorination through a pump that will inject small amounts of chlorine into the water which is placed in a separate, clean tank. This method will ensure that you always have chlorinated and disinfected water in a separate tank without the need to do it while the water is running through your system.
This system will cost under 1000 dollars (approximately 800) especially if you are investing in a carbon filtration system as well for the removal of chlorine from your drinking water
UV Light Treatment
Another effective method on the list is the UV light method where the UV lamp efficiently removes all kinds of bacteria, viruses, and protozoan organisms from the water and is installed at the entrance of the water supply system so that you get clean and safe water every time. It usually costs around fifty to a hundred thirty dollars and is relatively easy to maintain.
FAQS
What can I do if I instantly want pure and safe water to drink?
You can always boil the well water that you are using specifically for drinking purposes. Boiling the water will remove tons of bacteria and viruses from the water.
Final thoughts
The above-mentioned methods are the most effective and reliable methods to purify your well water from coliform bacteria especially if you consider your budget on every move. The cost to treat the coliform bacteria in well water is not that much especially if you focus on removing it from your water to ensure safe and healthy drinking water.