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How Does Water Well Rehabilitation Work?

Four generations of experience installing, maintaining and
repairing wells throughout Utah and Wyoming.
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Regular water well rehabilitation can extend the life and ensure the safety of your well.

well rehabilitation

With use and age, bacteria and minerals can build up throughout the system, leading to a loss of productivity and negative water quality issues. Routine rehabilitation can reverse these issues, keeping your water clean and flowing.

Brushing and Bailing Your Water Well

Professional well contractors typically use a combination of rehabilitation methods to restore a well to its most efficient condition. Often, a brushing pre-treatment is the first step.

Brushing is done with steel or plastic bristles attached to a drilling rig. The walls of the well casing are scrubbed clean of mineral deposits and corrosive byproducts.

The sediment that’s brushed loose may settle to the bottom of the well. And, sometimes, other particulate matter has already accumulated in that area. The bailing procedure is done after brushing, using a special tool to capture and scoop out the settled material.

Chemical Water Well Rehabilitation

Well rehabilitation may require the use of chemicals. Chemicals are carefully chosen and blended to remove encrusted materials as effectively and safely as possible.

Mineral acids can be used to dissolve concentrations of carbonates, silicates, magnesium hydroxide, iron oxide and other mineral precipitates. Organic acids can work as a solvent for some sulfate and phosphate compounds, and they can be effective against microorganisms. For oil contamination or heavy biological clogging, rehabilitation may require the use of caustic or alkaline products.

The necessary chemicals are placed in the well and agitated frequently for one to three days. Finally, fresh water is pumped through to clean and flush the system.

Rehabilitation chemicals are safe to use, but water quality tests are performed before the system is placed back into service to ensure water safety.

Water Well Rehabilitation with Water

Water under extreme pressure is also used in many rehabilitation projects.

High-pressure jetting is one technique used to eliminate deposits. An adjustable, multi-head tool is lowered into the well, aiming jets of water at the debris.

Hydrofracturing does much the same thing, but it treats the entire system at once. A large volume of high-pressure water is used to remove accumulated debris. In addition, the power of hydrofracturing can open up new sources of groundwater and boost the yield of the well.

Well surging, done by repeatedly injecting and flushing the system, is also used to eliminate particulate matter and wash away debris.

When well rehabilitation is necessary, no single approach works for every customer. The expert team at Mike Zimmerman Well Service LLC, serving homeowners in Utah and South Wyoming, can evaluate your system conditions and recommend the most effective approach for restoring your productivity and water quality. Contact our Salt Lake City office today to schedule your water well rehabilitation consultation.