What is Shock Chlorination?
Shock Chlorination is the process by which wells are sanitized with chlorine. Shocking Chlorination is the most widely recommended means of treating bacterial contamination in home water systems such as wells, springs and cisterns.
When Should Shock Chlorination be Used?
Shock Chlorination is recommended following any construction, installation, maintenance, or repair of wells and other water systems. Shock Chlorination is essential if there has been flooding or other obvious means of contamination in your area. It is NOT a recommended method for treating recurring bacteria problems.
The Shock Chlorination Process
- Clean: Remove all loose or foreign debris from the well house, spring house, or storage tank. Then scrub accessible interior surface with strong Chlorine solution (1/2 gallon chlorine bleach per 5 gallons clean water.)
- Calculate & Pour: Pour 3 pints of Chlorine bleach per 100 gallons of water into your well.
- Mix: Hook a clean garden hose to the outdoor faucet nearest the well and place the end of the hose inside the well. Turning the water on, let it run until you smell chlorine coming out of the hose.
- Circulate: Allow solution to circulate until a strong chlorine odor is detected from all the taps in the house.
- Flush: Flush toilets, then allow water to stand in the system for at least 8 hours (preferable 12-24 hours.)
- Finish: Rid the system of remaining chlorine by turning on outside faucet letting them run until chlorine smell dissipates. Finally, run the indoor faucets until water is clear and smell are gone. Do not run all this chlorinated water into your septic system or allow it to drain into a stream, pond or lake
