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Water Treatment Systems for Coliform Bacteria

Coliform bacteria is found in the feces of most warm-blooded animals, and will occasionally find its way into well and water systems. If testing has confirmed that the bacteria are present, then you are required to have the well or water system treated to eliminate the bacteria. There are a variety of ways to eliminate the bacteria from the water.

  1. Effects

    • Coliform bacteria are generally harmless to humans and animals, but if they are present, there may be other, more dangerous, bacteria, as well. Occasionally, coliform bacteria can cause upset stomach, diarrhea and other minor intestinal ailments. If they do not dissipate after the bacteria have been eliminated from the water, then you should contact a physician.

    Boiling

    • It may take a few days before you are able to use traditional treatment options to treat the bacteria in the water supply. In the meantime, you can kill the bacteria by boiling the water for at least a minute. A boiling order is the most common approach used by municipalities when they have bacteria problems. This should be done before you do anything else with the water.

    Chlorine

    • The element chlorine is one of the most commonly used one-time and continuous treatment options for coliform bacteria. If the bacteria is introduced through a one-time event such as a rainstorm, introducing a large concentration of chlorine into the well system will kill all the bacteria present. This is known as shocking a well. For continuous treatment, a small amount of chlorine is continuously introduced into the water supply that is harmless to humans, but will kill bacteria.

    Ultraviolet Light

    • UV radiation treatment is becoming a popular option, because there are no chemicals introduced into the water system. A UV light is encased in a metallic box, which also houses a clear pipe that the water passes through. A sediment filter removes all particles, and the bacteria are killed by the UV light before reaching faucets.

    System Upkeep

    • Coliform bacteria are most commonly found in well and water supplies because of mechanical defaults in the system. Loose gaskets and cracks in the foundation can let water contaminated with coliform into the well system. If you can seal the cracks and other problems, a onetime shock chlorination should take care of the problem, and you will not have to spend the money on a continuous disinfection system.

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