Q: When does one replace a bored well’s wood casing?
We had a well drilled about 18 years ago. It is about 58 feet deep and two feet across. The bottom two thirds are wood and the top portion is galvanized metal.
It is located on a summer use farm.
Last fall we began to notice a (rotting?) wood taste.
I am guessing we should be replacing the casing. Correct? And with what material?
A: I have quite a few inquires from people whose wells are ready to collapse from corrosion. Most of these well cribbings are galvanized.
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I recommend you buy fibreglass cribbing and insert it into the existing cribbing. Fibreglass will outlast any type of metal or wood casing.
Make sure the fibreglass cribbing has been post cured. This will eliminate fibreglass odours from leaching into the water supply.
You may want to contact your well driller and ask him if it is wise to remove the existing wood cribbing.
My concern is that once it is removed, the well could collapse.
As for removing the wood taste from the well, since you are there only in the summer, I suggest you manually chlorinate the well daily and install a carbon cartridge-type filter, which costs about $150.
This system will not only disinfect your water but will remove tastes and odours.
Q: I was recently told that I could use hydrogen peroxide rather than chlorine to shock treat a water well. The advantage was supposed to be that there was less corrosion on such things as the metal casing and pitless adapter.
Can you verify or fill me in on pros and cons?
A: Hydrogen peroxide, like chlorine, is a good disinfectant and oxidizer.
You can use hydrogen peroxide for temporary well disinfections, but it does not have the long lasting residual effect of chlorine.
The chemical formula for peroxide is H202 and when the peroxide is exposed to air it will eventually return to H20, or water.
Chlorine is still the most widely used disinfectant for water in the world and if used properly will provide the best performance for temporary disinfection of water wells. Should you still decide to use peroxide, be careful not to pour any on top of the pitless adapter because that can cause corrosion.
When pouring peroxide into a well, insert a hose past the pitless adaptor and pour the peroxide into the hose. Insert the hose into the well until you reach the water level. This will also eliminate the chance of corroding the well casing.
If you have a water problem and would like advice, write to the Water Clinic, attention Philip Stadnyk, 850-47th St. E. Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 0X4, e-mail philip@
thewaterclinic.com or phone 800-664-2561. Stadnyk is president of the Water Clinic and a member of the Canadian Water Quality Association.
