Well Water Resources
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RevisedShock chlorination is the process by which home water systems such as wells, springs, and cisterns are disinfected using household liquid bleach (or chlorine). Shock chlorination is the most widely recommended means of treating bacterial contamination in home water systems. This publication contains guidelines for safely and effectively using shock chlorination — a standard treatment for sanitizing your well system.
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C 858-16
Radon in Your Water
Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas formed from the decay of uranium and radium found in geologic deposits. Exposure to radon gas most commonly occurs through elevated levels in home air. However, in Georgia and neighboring states there is a lesser, though still significant, risk of exposure to radon dissolved in drinking water. This circular addresses the issues on its occurrence, human exposure pathways, testing, interpretations, and remediation strategies.
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This publication covers microfiltration, which is used for physical removal of contaminants from water. It describes how these processes work, their situation-specific usefulness/applications, maintenance needed for their proper functioning, and guidance for the consumers to select the appropriate filter.
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Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of more than 9,000 manmade chemicals that have been in use worldwide since 1940, primarily in industry and numerous commercial and consumer products. The widespread use of PFAS for the past several decades has raised concerns due to their persistence, bioaccumulative nature, and potential adverse health effects. This resource provides information about the background, uses, and environmental and human health consequences of PFAS chemicals.
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C 1016
Odors in Your Water
Homeowners sometimes experience unpleasant odors in their household water. In many cases, the exact cause of the odor is difficult to determine by water testing; however, this publication provides a few general recommendations for treating some common causes of household water odors.
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B 1563
Oxidizing Filters
Private well waters often contain high levels of iron, manganese, and hydrogen-sulfide. While these contaminants are not considered to have any human health consequences, they can cause various issues such as staining, impaired taste, and odor problems once their concentration exceeds certain levels, and homeowners need an appropriate system to remove them—such as an oxidizing filter. Oxidizing filters operate using oxidation, which occurs when a substance comes into contact with oxygen or another oxidizing substance. Everyday examples of oxidation are rust and the brown color that develops on a cut apple. This publication discusses various aspects of oxidizing filtration technique such as applicability, types of filter media, maintenance, etc.
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Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, is usually produced from charcoal in granular or powdered form. It is a form of carbon that has been processed (activated) to make it highly porous, with a very large surface area available for physical adsorption or chemical reactions. Among others, water treatment is an important application of activated carbon. Activated carbon filters treat general taste and odor problems, including chlorine residue, various organic chemicals, and the radioactive gas radon. This publication discusses various types of activated carbon water treatment systems, their usefulness and limitations, along with required maintenance.
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C 858-14
Uranium in Your Water
Uranium in your drinking water may be harmful to your health. If your water comes from a public system, it is routinely tested to ensure safe levels of uranium. If your source of household water is a private well, cistern or spring, you are solely responsible for the quality of your own drinking water. Private well owners are encouraged to monitor uranium through water testing.
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Arsenic in your drinking water may damage your health. Because arsenic in household well water is usually dissolved from natural rock in the aquifer, water treatment is the only way to eliminate it. This publication describes methods for removing arsenic from household drinking water.
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