Well Disinfection

HOW TO DISINFECT YOUR WELL

STEP 1
Remove the well cap and pour one gallon of bleach directly into your well for every 50 gallons of water in its system—including the well. The average Island well typically has three to five gallons of water. Any bleach that has 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (like unscented Javex) will work.

STEP 2
Using an outdoor tap and hose, place the end of the hose into the well and let the water run for at least 10 minutes before proceeding to step three. Let the hose run water into the well until the end of step four.

STEP 3
Indoors, turn off your water heater and run water in your bathtub in its hottest setting. When you start to smell bleach, it’s safe to turn the water off. This process could take up to 10 minutes to complete.

STEP 4
Next, find every cold water tap in your home and remove the screen from the end of the tap. This includes your dishwasher, washing machine, and toilets. Run each tap separately until you can smell bleach, then turn them off. Be sure to remove shower heads before disinfecting. If you’re concerned about whether or not you can smell the bleach, keep pouring more into your well until you’re no longer in doubt.

STEP 5
Please turn off the hose, remove it from the well, and put the cap back on. Leave the bleach in the well’s system for at least 12 hours. Be mindful of how much water you use during this period – flushing the toilet a few times is okay, but don’t go overboard.

STEP 6
Run all outdoor taps wide open until the smell of bleach is completely gone (this may take up to eight hours or more). When you can no longer smell the bleach from the hose, leave it running and return indoors to turn on all taps and let them run until the smell of bleach is gone.

HOW TO TAKE A WATER SAMPLE

STEP 1
Turn on all the cold water taps inside and outside your home and let them run for at least five minutes. This is to ensure the well pump is running and the sample is as direct from the well as possible. Leave all the taps running until step three.

STEP 2
Wash your hands with disinfectant soap. Remove the tap screen and soak the faucet to be sampled with rubbing alcohol.

STEP 3
Please turn on the faucet to be sampled and let it run for approximately five minutes. Slow down the flow and fill the sample bottle, taking care not to overfill the bottle. Do not rinse out the sample bottle, set the cover down or turn it upside down, and do not touch the inside of the sample bottle cap with your fingers.

STEP 4
Replace the cover and turn off all taps. Keep the sample cool and drop it off (the same day) at the nearest Access PEI location Monday through Thursday before 3:00 p.m. or Friday before noon.