First, don’t scream. Coliform is treatable. The standard solution is shock chlorination—bleaching your well like a bleach-blonde pop star. You pour a calculated amount of chlorine down the well, let it circulate for 24 hours, then flush it out.
After that, retest. If the coliform is gone, you dodged a bullet. If it returns, you have a structural issue. A cracked casing, a bad seal, or a shallow well that’s too close to surface water. Call a licensed well driller. This is not a DIY project for YouTube heroes.
Practical tip: Invest in a UV filter. It’s like a tanning bed for your water—ultraviolet light zaps bacteria without chemicals. Pair it with a sediment filter, and you’ve got a Knight in Shining Armor for your faucet.
The “But I’ve Drunk This Water For Years” Argument
We hear it all the time. “Grandpa drank from this well for 80 years and he’s fine!” Grandpa also smoked unfiltered Camels and thought seatbelts were for wimps. Your immune system isn’t a 1920s farmhand. Modern pathogens are evolving. And so should your water hygiene.
Fun fact: Coliform bacteria can survive for weeks in cold water. That crisp, refreshing glass from your tap? It’s a potential incubation chamber. Test it before you toast it.
Coliform In Well Water – Coliform Bacteria in Drinking Water Supplies
