First up: shock chlorination. This is like giving your entire well system a very aggressive bath. You mix regular household bleach (unscented, no “ocean mist” nonsense) with water and pour it down the well, then let it circulate through every pipe, faucet, and outdoor spigot. I’m talking about that moment when your water smells like a hotel swimming pool and you half-expect a lifeguard to blow a whistle.
Here’s the trick: you’ll need to run every faucet—hot and cold, inside and out—until you smell bleach at each one. Yes, even the one in the basement that hasn’t been used since 2003. My neighbor once forgot his garden hose, and the next week his petunias had a weird chlorine-high. Then you wait. Let that bleach solution sit in the well for at least 12 hours, preferably 24. This isn’t a quickie; it’s a marathon soak for your pipes.
After the soak, flush everything out. Run hoses away from your lawn (bleach kills grass faster than bad lawn puns), and let the water run until the chlorine smell is gone. This step is like rinsing a soapy dish—you can’t just leave suds on the plate and call it clean. Test your water again a week later. If the coliform is gone, congratulations—you’ve passed the first exam.
