So the water test says the well has bacteria!. NOW WHAT!

The single most common issue regarding contamination of private well water is Coliform Bacteria. The most common solution to this is to “Shock the well” using household laundry bleach.  Often this will resolve the problem but have you considered the downsides of this solution.

Household bleach has the following issues regarding its use:

• This product is designed for laundry and not for consumption.  One of the issues is that there are up to 8 ppm of mercury in all brands we have tested. 
• The water system must be closed down for 12-48 hours in order for this solution to be most effective. For many households this requires moving out for a couple of days with is not always a viable option
• Often the assumption is that once the well is treated the water is OK, so NO follow up testing is performed. 

Our Laboratory Director, Eric Koslowski, has been working with private well clients for since 1983.  Over that time he has learned a great deal about private well water. Using that knowledge he has developed a comprehensive solution for removing bacteria and other microorganisms from private wells. 

ETR Laboratory’s Well Water Disinfection and Testing Kit is a comprehensive solution to controlling microorganisms in well water. This product does the following:

1. Concentrates the elimination of microorganisms where they are growing. As a result the level of chlorine at the water tap is roughly equivalent to that in public water.  
2. Chlorine is of the type and grade recommended by the US EPA for public water supply.
3. Follow up testing necessary to ensure successful elimination of bacteria is included in the kit. 
4. Price of the kit is less than the cost of using bleach and getting the follow up testing necessary to fully understand the water quality. While the majority of disinfection treatments reduce bacteria to acceptable levels, in a significant minority of situations, additional treatment of renovations are necessary. 
5. Some home inspectors inventory these kits and use them and their company staff as an additional revenue source.  
6. Well drillers/pump installers find using our kit saves them time compared to what they spend on the bleach method.  

This article is intended to be a brief overview of this product. If you would like to learn more about the ETR Well Water Disinfection and Testing Kit, I would be delighted to have that conversation at your convenience.  

Greg Aldrich

(800) 344-9977

galdrich@etrlabs.com