We know that you know the importance of regular well water testing. But what happens when your test results come back, and they aren’t what you were expecting? Or, more commonly, what do you do if your family all suddenly fall ill at the same time?
Well Testing
The thing about well water testing is, although incredibly important, it doesn’t happen all too often. We usually recommend testing your water annually, or bi-annually, depending on your situation. However, what about all those months, weeks and days in-between? Unfortunately, things can change incredibly suddenly, and water that was once perfectly healthy to drink in the morning can change to un-drinkable later that same day due to run-off, flooding, spillage, or other contamination methods. And although it’s a good idea to test your water after finding out about any of these situations, sometimes you miss it, or sometimes life just happens.
So, your whole family is suddenly throwing up and clutching their stomachs. You take them to the doctors and the report comes back that you all somehow have E.Coli present in your system. If you can rule out lettuce and undercooked chicken, if you own a well, the only conclusion is that it’s from the water. What do you do now?
How to Fix it
The first, immediate thing to know is that that water is obviously no longer drinkable. Your options for water are now either bottled, or boiled. If you’re using water to cook, use bottled, or pre-boiled. When brushing your teeth use bottled, or boiled. When bathing either use extreme caution to prevent the water from entering the body, or use boiled water. Or, just go shower at grandmas for a bit.
To fix the problem, we recommend shock chlorination. To start, flush out your water system by running the water for about ten to fifteen minutes. Use a household bleach to disinfect the system and mix it thoroughly in the water. Run water through each tap in the house to bring the disinfectant through all the pipes and leave everything rest until the next day. After 24 hours, flush the solution from your water by leaving all the faucets running again until you can’t smell bleach any longer. For the next three to four days continue using your bottled or boiled water and then give it a test. If your test comes back clean, you’re all set to use your water again as normal. If it doesn’t, it’s best to leave it to the pros and call in your local plumber or well specialist.
Contaminated Water
Having contaminated water can be a big scare for some folks. The thing that usually helps to sustain your life is putting your health at risk. But don’t let this fear deter you from the well lifestyle, as this kind of situation usually only occurs after a serious of unfortunate events, where a breach in your well accidently slipped by you and went unnoticed. This brief period of disrupt in your normal daily events is usually resolved fairly quickly, and it’ll most definitely make you use a bit more caution when assessing your water.
At Faulstick Plumbing, we specialize in installs, repairs, and inspections for all of your well, water, and plumbing needs. Our family-owned and operated business has built a reputation as the best-doing things the right way with the customer in mind, every time. Give us a call at 570-992-0447 to discuss your needs today!
