Last Updated on February 18, 2020
Even the best-maintained and newest private water wells face contamination risks that can cause health impacts. In fact, the odds of your well containing harmful contaminants are probably much higher than you realize. Nearly 23% of private wells studied by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) had one or more contaminants present. How do you know if your well water is dangerous? Due to EPA recommended zero bacteria count for various microorganisms, how do you protect yourself and loved ones from pathogens, protozoa, and virus that all present health risks?
Have Your Well Water Tested Yearly
Experts recommend you have your water tested by a certified laboratory at least once a year — more often if there’s reason for concern. Water tests will indicate whether or not coliform is present in your well water. Coliform is easy to grow in a lab setting and is useful in indicating if harmful bacteria may be present. Lab tests will also indicate the presence of nitrates and dissolved solids, as well as water pH levels. Your goal is to achieve the EPA recommended zero bacteria count for microorganisms like fecal coliform, E. coli, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium.
The following are indicators that you may need your water tested more frequently:
- Symptoms of E. coli or Salmonella, or other waterborne illnesses such as nausea, diarrhea, cramping, vomiting, or headaches
- Off color
- Cloudiness
- Odor
- Reduced water pressure
- Flooding
- Increase in construction or agriculture activity
Have Your Well Inspected Periodically
Periodic inspection by a well water specialist is also recommended in order to rule out any physical issues near or with your well. Reduced water pressure can be an indicator that your plumbing is leaking, which can allow contamination to enter the plumbing system. Other areas of concern that the inspection can reveal are bad or corroded fittings, casings, and pipes, as well as abandoned water wells. When inadequately decommissioned or not decommissioned at all, these wells can provide a direct gateway for runoff and animal waste to get into the groundwater and aquifer, eventually contaminating your well.Add UV-C Well Water Disinfection to Your Treatment Procedure to Reach EPA Recommended Zero Bacteria Count
Whenever possible, you want to remove the contamination source. However, many natural and unnatural sources can’t always be removed. Water in your well is provided by groundwater that is always moving, meaning your well water quality is always changing — daily, weekly, and monthly. Adding an appropriate sized Atlantic Ultraviolet water disinfection system as part of your well water treatment deactivates E. coli, Salmonella, and other harmful bacteria, virus, or fungi. There are a number of optional accessories available that can be purchased at the time of water purifier installation or installed at a later date that can help with the overall operation of your water purification system such as a GUARDIAN™ Ultraviolet Monitor to aid in discovering changes in your water quality. Our engineers developed the SANITRON®, MINIPURE®, MIGHTY★PURE®, and Bio-Logic® for safe, economical, and powerful water purification.
SANITRON® models S37C, S50C, and S2400C comply with NSF®/ANSI 61 and 372 — Drinking Water System Component — Health Effects and Lead Content. MIGHTY★PURE® models MP36C (12 GPM) and MP49C (20 GPM) are available with Certification for NSF®/ANSI Standard 55 — Ultraviolet Microbiological Water Treatment Systems. Contact one of our UV Application Specialists in order to determine what will work best for your application. Visit Ultraviolet.com for a full list of UV-C disinfection systems manufactured in the USA by Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation® — as well as the applications for which they may be used.
Learn More & Shop Our Products
Made or Assembled in the USA of Type 304 or Type 316 stainless steel, the UV water treatment systems from Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation® are constructed of the highest quality materials and use germicidal UV-C lamps to purify water. Many applications can benefit from germicidal UV-C, including those with water that isn’t reaching the EPA recommended zero bacteria count. For more information on well water contamination — including how UV Water Purification improves water quality — visit our application-specific page.Learn Here! Ultraviolet.com
- Learn about UV Water & Liquid Purifiers
- Download Ultraviolet Water Documents from our PDF Library
- Visit our Application-Specific Page: UV-C for Private Well Water Contamination
- View all the applications that can benefit from Germicidal UV-C
- Learn about STER-L-RAY ® Germicidal Ultraviolet Lamps
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Shop Here! BuyUltraviolet.com
- Shop UV Water & Liquid Purifiers for Well Water Contamination
- Shop STER-L-RAY ® Germicidal UV Lamps
- Compare all models with our UV Water Purifier Comparison Chart
Need help? Call Our UV Specialists at 1-631-273-0500, Monday – Friday 7am to 6pm EST or fill out our contact form.
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View our infographic: How to Reach EPA Recommended Zero Bacteria Count for Your Well Water
