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When should I have my well tested?
You should test your well:
If well is a start up well.
If well is an older well and hasn’t been tested in years.
Wells should be tested annually.
If there is any unusual change in color, clarity, or smell.
If there is any change in the water system.
If there is a pregnant person living in the household.
If there are any young children in the household.
If there are any unusual sicknesses or illness reoccurring in the household.
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Who should I have test my well?
Wells may be tested by the homeowner or renter of a building with the easy to follow instruction in the kit.
Wells may be tested by a Plumber for a fee.
Wells may be tested by a Sanitarian for a fee.
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What does the test check for?
The test given out by the County only checks the well for bacteria, fecal bacteria, and nitrates. More extensive tests are available for a fee through the UW-Extension office that allows you to check for hardness, as well as metal content in the water. The DNR has more extensive kit available to check for chemical byproducts and pesticides if necessary.
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What are the dangerous levels in my water?
Bacteria has no safe level. Your results will report bacteria either as present or not. The safe nitrate level in drinking water is currently set at 10 parts per million. If your water is under this level, your water is considered to be safe for infant formula preparation or drinking water. Nitrate levels can vary greatly year to year. If you should have high nitrates in the water, do not boil the water. This will only increase the nitrate levels.
Should you purchase a more extensive kit from the UW-Extension Office or DNR, a key will be provided explainig the results and dangers.
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How do I cleanse the well?
Items Needed:
1-4 gallons of chlorine bleach. ( household bleach ).
5-6 1" solid swimming pool chlorine tablets. ( optional ).
1-4 five gallon pails.
Getting Ready:
By-pass your water softener and other water treatment equipment. At same time, this is a good chance to clean your faucet screen and water softener system.
Add Chlorine:
Loosen the set screws on the well cap and remove the well cap. Add one to four gallons of household bleach to your well. It is optional to add 5-6 tablets of solid swimming pool chlorine. Removing some well caps may require professional assistance. Use gloves to lift excess electrical wires out of the well casing.
Mix / Circulate:
Run water into your well with a garden hose wide open. Continue running for one-half hour. This will mix the chlorine and water in your well. As an option, periodically turn off the hose and pour a series of 5 gallon pails of water into the well to raise the head of the well and force chlorine into the aquifer.
At each faucet, ( inside and out ) remove the faucet screen and let the cold water run until you smell bleach. Turn off the faucet and go to the next faucet. Be careful not to get too much chlorine into your septic tank. Your family may flush the toilet ( for personal needs ) a couple of times if needed; more than that could kill the needed bacteria in your septic tank.
Quiet Period:
Turn off all the water in your house ( inside and out ) an let the entire system sit quietly for 6 to 12 hours (24 optimal). Do not use any water if possible.
Purge the Well:
After six to twelve hours, get rid of the chlorine by running water from an outside faucet for 1 to 8 hours or until the water clears up and the smell of chlorine disappears. Run the water into your driveway, the ditch, or road. Take care not to run bleach into lakes, rivers, streams or surface water. Bleach will kill fish and grass.
Service:
Put your water softener back into service and manually regenerate, soak and clean your faucet screens with vinegar before replacing.
Test:
Test or retest your water for bacteria. Test within one week after cleaning and again in 2 weeks if water was found to be unsafe.
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Should I worry about Arsenic in my well?
Arsenic Information
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WELL DISINFECTING FACT SHEET
Well Disinfecting Fact Sheet.
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What are the Drinking Water Standards?
The drinking water standards can be found at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/mcl.html
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