Irrigation and livestock wells

Treat your farm well.

Answer a few quick questions and we will point you to the right next step.

Step 1 of 1

What's going on with your farm's well?

What bacteria do to a farm well

Iron bacteria and slime

Iron bacteria combine iron and oxygen into rust deposits and a slimy material that sticks to well pipes, pumps, and plumbing. They can lower how much water the well produces and can cause clogging. (Minnesota Department of Health)

Clogged drip lines

Bacteria that feed on iron in the water leave iron deposits and slime inside pipelines, drip lines, and emitters. Iron as low as 0.2 ppm can clog a drip irrigation system. (University of California ANR)

Rotten egg smell

Sulfur-reducing bacteria in wells make hydrogen sulfide gas, the rotten egg smell. It can corrode metal in the water system and leave yellow or black stains. (Penn State Extension)

Water the animals do not like

High iron and manganese give water a bitter metallic taste that can make it unpleasant to drink for both people and farm animals. (Penn State Extension)

Bacteria near the well

Livestock grazing near the well can bring bacteria into it, and so can floodwater. (Mississippi State University Extension)

How the treatment works

The same steps as a home kit, per the product label, with more pouches. Each 12-gram pouch activates in 24 liters of water in a closed container for at least 2 hours to make a 500 ppm stock.

Open each package without cutting the pouch inside, and throw away the desiccant.
Submerge the pouch in the batch's water in the pail and close the lid. Wait at least 2 hours, take the pouch out within 24 hours, and mix gently. Do not reuse a pouch.
Work in a well-ventilated area and avoid breathing the fumes. Wear protective gloves if your hands will touch the solution, and a NIOSH-approved respirator for chlorine dioxide if you work with the 500 ppm stock in an open container.
Pour the stock into the well and close the well cap. Circulate it through the lines and run each outlet until the treated water reaches it.
Let it stand overnight, about 12 hours. The next day, flush the well and the lines.
Test for bacteria before you treat, and again 7 to 14 days after.

Follow all directions on the product label. Every pouch in the kit is NSF/ANSI 60 certified for drinking water treatment.

Questions

Can I treat an irrigation or livestock well myself?

Yes, if you can open the well cap and run water through the lines. The kit's pouches make a 500 ppm stock that you pour into the well, circulate, and leave overnight, then flush. A well with a damaged pump or casing needs a well contractor first.

How many pouches does a farm well need?

It depends on the water standing in the well: the depth to the bottom minus the depth to the water, times the gallons per foot for the casing size. Farm wells get 12-gram pouches. A quote estimates the count for wells up to 2,000 ft deep with casing up to 16 inches, and we confirm it before we quote.

When does a farm well get a quote instead of a price?

After a bacteria test shows coliform without E. coli. A farm well can hold hundreds or thousands of gallons, so the order is bigger than a home kit and the pouches ship as hazardous material by ground. We size the order by hand and send a quote with ground shipping on its own line. There is nothing to pay until you say yes.

Does one treatment clear iron bacteria for good?

Not always. The Minnesota Department of Health says iron bacteria can be hard to get rid of, treatment may only be partly effective, and a well may need more than one treatment.

Is the treatment registered for use in my state?

The pouches are EPA Reg. No. 74986-5, registered state by state. A few states are not registered yet or have no ground shipping. A quote tells you if your state is one of them.