Professional Well Cleaning, Air Development & Chlorination for Cleaner Well Water

If your private well has rusty water, iron buildup, sediment, debris, bacteria, bad odors, discoloration, or has failed a water test, cleaning and rehabilitation may help restore the well and improve water quality.

Red Cedar Well Service provides well cleaning, air development, well chlorination, flushing, and water sampling for homeowners, property transfers, and existing private wells throughout Colfax, Menomonie, Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Dunn County, and surrounding Western Wisconsin.

A well can collect years of iron deposits, rust, sand, sediment, mineral buildup and other debris along the casing, screen, bottom of the well, and surrounding formation. As this material accumulates, it can affect water quality and contribute to cloudy, rusty, discolored or unpleasant-tasting water.

Over time, sediment and mineral deposits can settle in the bottom of a well. Iron and rust deposits can also build up on the well components and surrounding areas where water enters the well.

Air development is a process used to agitate and remove accumulated sediment and debris from a well. Compressed air is introduced into the well to create turbulence and help loosen material that has accumulated in the well.

The loosened material can then be brought out of the well during the cleaning and flushing process.

• Iron and rust deposits
• Sand and sediment
• Mineral deposits
• Mud and accumulated debris
• Fine particles
• Organic material and buildup
• Deposits that have accumulated over years of use

Removing accumulated material can help improve the overall condition of the well and may improve water clarity, color, taste and odor when those problems are related to well sediment or deposits.

Air development is not a guaranteed treatment for every water-quality problem. Some water-quality issues originate from the groundwater itself and may require water treatment equipment or other corrective measures.

A well is more than just a hole in the ground. Water enters the well through the surrounding formation and can carry naturally occurring minerals and fine sediment into the well.

Over time, that material can settle and accumulate.

When a well contains significant sediment, iron, rust or organic buildup, it can become a source of ongoing water-quality problems.

Well cleaning and air development can help remove accumulated material from the well instead of allowing that material to remain in the bottom of the well and continually circulate through the water system.

This can be especially helpful for older wells that have never been professionally cleaned or wells experiencing changes in water quality.

Well chlorination is different from well cleaning.

Chlorination is used to disinfect a well and water system. It is commonly performed when a well has tested positive for bacteria or after certain well and pump repairs.

Wisconsin DNR recommends routine private-well bacteria testing and advises homeowners to test when they notice a change in the water's taste, color or smell. 

When bacteria is detected, the cause of the contamination should also be investigated. Possible contributing factors can include problems with well construction, the well cap, sample faucet, plumbing, flooding, or other sources of contamination.

Simply adding chlorine does not correct an underlying source of contamination.

That's why Red Cedar Well Service can evaluate the well and water system, perform appropriate cleaning or chlorination, flush the system, and coordinate follow-up water testing when needed.

If your well water has tested positive for bacteria, don't simply ignore the result.

Wisconsin DNR states that if a laboratory report indicates bacteria is present in a private well water sample, homeowners should stop drinking the water and take appropriate action. 

Depending on the situation, corrective work may include:

1. Inspecting the well and water system

2. Identifying potential sources of contamination

3. Cleaning or developing the well when appropriate

4. Chlorinating/disinfecting the well

5. Thoroughly flushing the well and water system

6. Collecting a follow-up water sample

The appropriate procedure depends on the condition of the well and the reason for the failed test.

A well that is involved in a property transfer deserves special attention.

Wisconsin DNR explains that property-transfer well inspections can include inspection of the well and pressure system and laboratory testing of potable wells for coliform bacteria, nitrate and arsenic. 

If a water test comes back with bacteria, the transaction can become more complicated for both the buyer and seller.

Red Cedar Well Service can help homeowners address well and water-quality problems that are discovered during the property-transfer process.

• Well inspection
• Well cleaning
• Air development
• Well chlorination
• Well flushing
• Pump and well-system repairs
• Well cap evaluation
• Sample faucet evaluation
• Follow-up water sampling
• Diagnosis of potential contamination sources

Important: A failed water test does not automatically mean the well itself is structurally noncompliant. Wisconsin DNR distinguishes between water-test results and well/pressure-system compliance. 

Our goal is to determine why the problem occurred and what corrective work may be appropriate, rather than simply treating the symptom.

If your well has never been cleaned, or you're experiencing:

• Rusty or orange water
• Sediment in your water
• Sand coming through your faucets
• Cloudy water
• Iron buildup
• Bad taste or odor
• Recurring bacteria problems
• Water-quality changes
• Debris coming from the well
• A failed property-transfer water test

a professional well cleaning and air-development evaluation may be worth considering.

Cleaning the well can remove accumulated material that has built up over years and may help improve the overall condition of the well.

For homeowners who want cleaner-looking and better-tasting well water, well cleaning can also be an important part of maintaining an older private well.

Red Cedar Well Service provides well cleaning and water-system services throughout Western Wisconsin, including:

Colfax, Menomonie, Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Dunn County, and surrounding communities.

We work with homeowners, buyers and sellers, real estate professionals, and property owners dealing with failed water tests, bacteria, rusty water, sediment, iron buildup and aging private wells.

If you're dealing with a failed water test or poor-quality well water, contact Red Cedar Well Service to discuss the condition of your well and determine what type of cleaning, chlorination, flushing or follow-up testing may be appropriate.

Well Cleaning • Air Development • Well Chlorination • Water Testing • Well & Pump Service

715-690-9979
redcedarwell.com

Bacteria in a private well can come from several sources, including groundwater contamination, surface water entering the well, damaged or non-vermin-proof well caps, poor well construction, cracks or openings around the well seal, plumbing problems, or contamination introduced during maintenance or sampling.

Common warning signs can include repeated positive bacteria tests, unusual odors or taste, cloudy water, or a failed property-transfer water test. However, bacteria can also be present without changing the appearance, taste, or smell of the water.

At Red Cedar Well Service, we can inspect the well and water system to help identify potential sources of contamination. Depending on what we find, the solution may include:

• Well inspection and evaluation
• Well cleaning and air development
• Sediment, rust and iron buildup removal
• Shock chlorination / well disinfection
• Thorough well flushing
• Well cap or seal replacement
• Pump and well-system repairs
• Follow-up bacteria testing

Air development and well cleaning can help remove accumulated sediment, rust, iron deposits, debris and other material from inside the well. Cleaning can improve well conditions, but it does not guarantee that bacteria contamination will be eliminated. If bacteria are detected, proper well disinfection and follow-up water testing are important steps.

If your private well has tested positive for coliform bacteria or E. coli, especially during a property transfer, don't simply keep adding chlorine without finding out why the contamination occurred. Red Cedar Well Service can help evaluate the well, clean and develop it, disinfect the system, flush the well and help coordinate follow-up water testing.

Well cleaning, well chlorination, air development and bacteria treatment in Colfax, Menomonie, Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls and surrounding Western Wisconsin.
Rusty or orange water

• Sediment in your water
• Sand coming through your faucets
• Cloudy water
• Iron buildup
• Bad taste or odor
• Recurring bacteria problems
• Water-quality changes
• Debris coming from the well
• A failed property-transfer water test
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