Smelly Water

coL

We have our own well and recently the water has developed a smell (like slurry). The water has been tested and come back clean but with the smell it is very disconcerting.


I am about to sterilise the well and hoping this will sort the problem out but just wondering if anybody has used a filter that removes smells from water?

listermint

Sterlise the well with what? How would you propose it sorts the smell ?


In terms of testing what tests had you done and what were the results of it.

have you checked the supply at point into the house or checking it from taps.

Do you have an existing filter system at all ?

Calahonda52

coL wrote: »

We have our own well and recently the water has developed a smell (like slurry). The water has been tested and come back clean but with the smell it is very disconcerting.


I am about to sterilise the well and hoping this will sort the problem out but just wondering if anybody has used a filter that removes smells from water?

How do you propose to "sterilise the well"
horse in 50 litres of chlorine :eek:

coL

Sterilise the well with what? How would you propose it sorts the smell ?

In terms of testing what tests had you done and what were the results of it.

have you checked the supply at point into the house or checking it from taps.

Do you have an existing filter system at all ?

Don't have the results in front of me but the water has been tested for coliforms and all the other standard items that might be hazardous to human health. The test was done in a reputable lab so pretty confident of the results. Although the basis of the smell couldn't be established from the tests there is no e-coli present so technically it is safe to drink even if it smells a bit.

Have done a bit of research and spoken to a few technicians and the only real option short of boring another well seems to be to sterilise/disinfect it and hope this gets rid of he smell or whatever is causing it. If you are aware of another solution that might work I would be very interested?

There is a substantial filtration system installed with both a pre and post filter and filtration media (don't have exact spec to hand). It was only installed a few months ago so should be in good working order. The water was tested from the point where it exits the filtration system and before it enters the house.

How do you propose to "sterilise the well"
horse in 50 litres of chlorine

Disinfecting/sterilising a well is a pretty standard procedure and it is actually recommended by the HSE that you do it at least once a year (HSE flyer attached). The process is very simple, if a bit time consuming, and yeah pretty much amounts to throwing chlorine down the well and running it through all the pipes in the house.

This is an extract from EPA website on the procedure (http://www.epa.ie/water/dw/hhinfo/faqpwells/):

"This method is for the disinfection of a well water supply, water storage tank, water carying pipe work and hot and cold-water cylinders. Approximately 1,100 litres of water will be used.
Caution: if you have a filter or any other type of water treatment on any part of your system, consult your supplier before following this procedure. Heavily chlorinated water may affect the filter or the chlorine may be absorbed by the filter rendering the procedure ineffective.
1. To 25 litres of water add 5 litres of a 1% w/v solution of Sodium Hypochlorite. While we do not endorse any individual products, any one of the following products may be used diluted in 25 litres of water.
(a) 2.5 litres of Milton fluid (or 50 tablets) or similar products with 2% w/v Sodium Hypoxhlorite.
or
(b) 0.5 litres of Sterichlor or similar products with 10/11% Sodium Hypochlorite.
Disinfection products sold for use on the farm will be acceptable for use in disinfecting wells. However, it is important to seek advice about their use and it is advisable to always use the products in about 25 litres of water.
2. Pour half of the solution into the well.
3. Turn on the drinking water tap in the kitchen and let the water run until there is a distinct smell of chlorine from the water. Then turn off the tap.
4. Turn on all other taps and let the water run until there is a distinct smell of chlorine from the water. Then turn off the taps.
5. Pour the other half of the solution into the well. Turn off the well pump and ensure that the well is covered properly. Allow to stand overnight or for at least 8 hours.
6. After at least 8 hours reconnect the pump. Turn on all taps and let the water run until the smell of chlorine is gone. Turn off all taps.
7. Arrange for the water to be tested.
N.B. This method is only suitable as a once off shock disinfecting procedure and cannot replace a proper treatment system if your water supply needs continuous disinfection."


What I am really looking for here is a recommendation for a filter that will remove a smell from water that has been tested and is otherwise safe for human consumption in case sterilising/disinfecting the well doesn't work.

listermint

No ecoli but is there chloriforms and if so what quantity as detected ?

Do you have a UV filter in your system ?

coL

listermint wrote: »

No ecoli but is there chloriforms and if so what quantity as detected ?

Do you have a UV filter in your system ?

No coliforms.

We don't have a UV filter as part of the system.

listermint

Ok if there is no Coliforms in the water , you have a 2 stage system. and the tests all indicated no presence of anything non drinkable. Then im at a loss as to where the 'smell' is coming from.

If its a silage type smell then there should be bacterial presence in the water.

I dont mean to question the testing, but did the lab indicate there was smell from the water when you spoke to them. i.e had they confirmed what you are smelling or was it fairly innocuous (no smell to them)

my3cents

That silage smell can come from aerobic break down of organic material in a filter or even the pipes.

Have you left a filter for too long that should have been replaced or is it possible you have a sediment build up in the pipes?

Carb

Is it a newish well, or is this a first after many years. We had a dug well that didn't perform particularly well during summer months. The water was fine 90% of the time but at certain times of the year we used to get a smell, more of a rotted vegetation smell than slurry (around this time of year/early autumn) and more recently during the heatwave it smelt like soil, which I assume was the water going stale. No tests done.

Always suspected there was surface water getting in and eventually bit the bullet and got a new well bored. Not saying that's you solution, it just sounded familiar.

TomOnBoard

Charcoal filters deal with smells. However, I'd like to suss out the origin.

TomOnBoard

Also, has anyone near you sunk a well recently?

coL

Given that the tests have come back clear and the water is technically ok to drink I am more concerned with getting rid of the smell at this point as it makes showering etc. unpleasant. There will be plenty of time to ascertain what caused it the smell afterwards and as we are still using bottled water to drink there are no immediate health concerns.

From what I am being told sterilising/disinfecting the well should get rid of the smell but I am starting to look into my options just in case it doesn't.

The well is old (the house is 20 years old but we only bought it a year ago) but the filter system has only been in 4-5 months. Because the filter system was so new I didn't immediately think it could be the filters but I had a look at them last night and they were all blocked up with stuff that smells exactly like the water so I think I may have discovered the problem. Speaking with the technician we came to the conclusion that the low water levels must have caused some sediment or other material at the bottom of the well that is normally undisturbed to be dragged up into the filter. I have replaced the filters now so hopefully that will take care of the problem. I will probably sterilise/disinfect the well anyway in the next month or two just to be sure and because it is recommended.

listermint

coL wrote: »

Given that the tests have come back clear and the water is technically ok to drink I am more concerned with getting rid of the smell at this point as it makes showering etc. unpleasant. There will be plenty of time to ascertain what caused it the smell afterwards and as we are still using bottled water to drink there are no immediate health concerns.

From what I am being told sterilising/disinfecting the well should get rid of the smell but I am starting to look into my options just in case it doesn't.

The well is old (the house is 20 years old but we only bought it a year ago) but the filter system has only been in 4-5 months. Because the filter system was so new I didn't immediately think it could be the filters but I had a look at them last night and they were all blocked up with stuff that smells exactly like the water so I think I may have discovered the problem. Speaking with the technician we came to the conclusion that the low water levels must have caused some sediment or other material at the bottom of the well that is normally undisturbed to be dragged up into the filter. I have replaced the filters now so hopefully that will take care of the problem. I will probably sterilise/disinfect the well anyway in the next month or two just to be sure and because it is recommended.

You would be looking at changing filters every 3 months or so, or more often for a more 'sedimenty' source. 5-6 months would be abnormal.

Id suggest you source the filters yourself from amazon or the likes and learn to swap them. There is no need for calling a technician out for this.

And i wouldnt bother pouring chlorine down the well. Recommended does not mean its good for you or the well. We pour flourine into our water supplys that doesnt make it good.

There should be really no need to be sterlising a bored well.

coL

listermint wrote: »

You would be looking at changing filters every 3 months or so, or more often for a more 'sedimenty' source. 5-6 months would be abnormal.

Id suggest you source the filters yourself from amazon or the likes and learn to swap them. There is no need for calling a technician out for this.

And i wouldnt bother pouring chlorine down the well. Recommended does not mean its good for you or the well. We pour flourine into our water supplys that doesnt make it good.

There should be really no need to be sterlising a bored well.

Nobody was able to tell me for definite how often to change the filters but the consensus seemed to be around 6 months.


I know how to change the filters myself so will keep a close eye on them to get a feel for the change intervals. Was only speaking with the technician over the phone to confirm a few things.


Thanks everyone for all the responses

my3cents

If you have already thrown the old filters out then next time you change them take a sniff at them because you may find it is one filter that catches a specific particle size that is creating the smell.

So what I am suggesting is there might be one filter that needs replacing much more often than the others. I suspect it might be one of the courser filters?

listermint

my3cents wrote: »

If you have already thrown the old filters out then next time you change them take a sniff at them because you may find it is one filter that catches a specific particle size that is creating the smell.

So what I am suggesting is there might be one filter that needs replacing much more often than the others. I suspect it might be one of the courser filters?

Spot on, its all a bit trial and error. 1 house isnt the same as a house 200 meters up the road.

The OP will have to find the groove after trial and error with differing Micron Sizes

ronaneire

coL wrote: »

Do

There is a substantial filtration system installed with both a pre and post filter and filtration media (don't have exact spec to hand). It was only installed a few months ago so should be in good working order. The water was tested from the point where it exits the filtration system and before it enters the house.

The water supply should be tested pref filtration. Water filters are not meant to be used on a water supply that is unknown. Standard sediment and carbon filters will not remove ecoli or coliforms from a water supply,



A good quality carbon filter should be removing odours! If what you are smelling is slurry, chlorinate the well. Going back to the carbon filter, it should then remove the chlorine as it passes through.

coL

ronaneire wrote: »

The water supply should be tested pref filtration. Water filters are not meant to be used on a water supply that is unknown. Standard sediment and carbon filters will not remove ecoli or coliforms from a water supply,



A good quality carbon filter should be removing odours! If what you are smelling is slurry, chlorinate the well. Going back to the carbon filter, it should then remove the chlorine as it passes through.

The water from the well directly was tested prior to the installation of the new filtration system. There was no ecoli or coliforms present. The filtration system was then designed and installed based on those test results.

At present there is no carbon filter as part of the system. I was thinking of installing one if the smell persisted but it looks like I have identified the issue now and resolved it.

uck51js9zml2yt

coL wrote: »

The water from the well directly was tested prior to the installation of the new filtration system. There was no ecoli or coliforms present. The filtration system was then designed and installed based on those test results.

At present there is no carbon filter as part of the system. I was thinking of installing one if the smell persisted but it looks like I have identified the issue now and resolved it.

So what was the problem????

coL

Mila Lively Kid wrote: »

So what was the problem????

I mentioned it in one of my earlier posts (but it was in the middle of a big paragraph of text). It looks like the problem was the filters which had got gunked up from the low water levels over the summer.