Bacteria Control & Well Water Disinfection

Bacteria in well water can't be seen, smelled or tasted, and private wells aren't regulated by the EPA, so keeping the water safe is up to the owner. This collection brings together everything we carry for bacteria control: UV disinfection, chlorination, iron and sulfur bacteria treatment, ultrafiltration, testing and replacement UV lamps. Shipping is free anywhere in the US.

Which bacteria problem do you have?

• Total coliform: a warning sign that surface water or soil is reaching your well. When coliform is present, harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites may be too.
• E. coli or fecal coliform: sewage or animal waste has reached the water. Don't drink untreated water; disinfect the well and install continuous treatment.
• Giardia and Cryptosporidium: parasites that cause stomach illness. Cryptosporidium resists chlorine, so UV or ultrafiltration is the better choice.
• Iron bacteria: orange or red slime, clogged fixtures and a swampy smell. Not a disease risk, but it fouls pipes, pumps and treatment equipment.
• Sulfur bacteria: a rotten-egg smell (hydrogen sulfide) and black slime, often worse in hot water.

How to choose a treatment

• UV disinfection: no chemicals and no change to taste. Kills bacteria, viruses and cysts as water passes the lamp. Look for NSF/ANSI 55 Class A (40 mJ/cm²) systems for contaminated water.
• Chlorination: a feed pump or pellet chlorinator with a retention tank. It disinfects, oxidizes iron and sulfur, and protects the plumbing downstream. Pair it with a carbon filter to remove the chlorine taste.
• Iron and sulfur bacteria systems: ozone or oxidizing filters that break down slime, odor and iron together.
• Ultrafiltration: physically removes bacteria and cysts without chemicals.

Before you install UV

UV only works on clear water. As a guide, iron should be under 0.3 ppm, hardness under 7 grains per gallon and UV transmittance above 75%. Use a 5-micron sediment pre-filter, and add a softener or iron filter if needed. Our complete well systems include the pre-treatment. Replace the UV lamp every 12 months and clean the quartz sleeve when you do.

Test and shock your well

The CDC recommends testing a private well at least once a year for total coliform bacteria, and again after flooding, repairs or any change in taste, color or smell. Use a state-certified lab for drinking-water results. Shock-chlorinate the well after a positive test, a flood or well work, then retest before relying on the water.

Not sure which system fits your water? Send us your test results and we'll help you size it.