Well water : adding chlorine to storage barrel

[aalbina]

Hi folks: I'm on well water and filter through an HMA (carbon/resin). I do get some organics growing in my storage barrel. I'm thinking of adding a bit of chlorine bleach occasionally. The storage barrel holds 66 gallons but my float is lower than the top so I'm probably at 55 or 60.

How much chlorine do you think I need to add? I age heat and aerate for 24 hours and I will use Safe when I use the water.

I'm thinking I'll "shock" the storage barrel once a week. The first time I'll probably just run the water out after 24 and not use it.


Adam

[aalbina]

OK - I guess no one ADDS chlorine - everyone tries to get rid of chlorine. I did see a request on another thread about adding chlorine to a storage barrel but it ended without any recommendations on dosing and she ended going with a UV in the storage barrel. Which may be my best option - I can pick one up at the LFS for about $50. Seems like a better option.

I did take the storage barrel outside and bleach it this past weekend. I was surprised at how clean it actually was. I was feeling some slime on the top portion of the barrel along the water line and on the air and power hoses (which run bundled together to the bottom of the barrel). It seems the only place I get slime is where there is air contact - which is interesting. The bottom and sides of the barrel where perfectly clean.

I filled it back up and tested for chlorine 12 - 24 - 36 hours later and there was no trace - so I went ahead with water changes last night - no problems.

In the reading I have done it seems that household bleach is actually 4-6% sodium hypochlorite and 0.01-0.05% sodium hydroxide. Apparently the alkalinity in the hypochlorite will also precipitate sodium carbonate. Certainly that will effect pH initially and definitely the KH/GH. Environmental Protection Agency recommends the use of 2 drops of 4% to 6% household bleach per liter of water - not sure what that equates to?!

Given a ratio I have read about that indicates 1ppm of bleach for water disinfection: 1/1,000,000, if I'm doing my math right: 60 gallons = 227 liters. 1 ppm of 227 liters would be 2.27 ml which sounds like a very small amount of chlorine for 60 gallons but may be all I need. I may try that and test for chlorine at 12 - 24 - and 36 hours to see how long it takes to precipitate out. I'll check pH as well as KH and GH to see how that is affected as well.

Adam

[Hogman]

I assume your on a private well. New Hampshire should have some pretty good ground water being mostly granite below the surface. if your not showing any signs of algae problems with your tank I wouldn't sweat it. What happens in private Wells that aren't disinfected is that you can have a high count of anaerobic bacteria which contain high amounts of proteins. Your math is good on the bleach. It only takes 1 minute of contact time to kill bacteria will cl2. Bleach dissipates very quickly when aerating and heating the water to tank temperature. If I were on private well I would be chlorinating/dechloinating my water. I would use a capful myself. Poeple are very afraid of using bleach. I for one am not. Hope that helps man

[aalbina]

Thanks Hogman - I didn't think anyone was interested! Yes - I'm on a private artesian well. I'll go ahead do some testing on 5 gallons of water and see where I am. I'm a little worried about precipitating out calcium carbonate and lowering my KH - I have pretty low KH now. So not as much stability/buffering capacity as I would like.

Thanks for the advice - I appreciate it. A capful sounds right.

Adam

[TURQ64]

I just saw this adam, and didn't read all of it. When I recycle water, similar to your holding tank, I chlorinate it heavily, much as we do with holding tanks on sailboats....I again dechlor it, and put it to use, hoping some of the bacteria croaked...Gary

[DerekFF]

I just take it outside and bleach it about once a month. Feel safer that way

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[aalbina]

Thanks Gary and Derek - I think I may do both! I'm not having any problems and haven't for quite a while but I do want make sure I stay ahead of anything and everything as best I can. A couple ml of bleach is a pretty small thing to do with a big potential pay off.

Thanks again.

Adam


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