Water treatment
Well water treatment and disinfection
We recommend filters, UV units, and disinfection only after reviewing accredited lab test results.
Nanaimo Well Drilling matches your water treatment system to accredited laboratory test results. We follow provincial guidance for shock chlorination using a 200 ppm chlorine solution left in the well for 2 hours and distribution piping for 12 hours. We install filtration certified to NSF/ANSI 53 ahead of ultraviolet disinfection certified to NSF/ANSI 55 as recommended by Health Canada. HealthLink BC calls for bacteriological testing at least once a year, and immediately whenever your water changes in clarity, colour or taste.
Every local aquifer contains specific natural minerals or bacteria that homeowners prefer to filter out before drinking. Sulphur, iron, manganese, hardness, fluoride, and coliform appear across local wells, and each issue needs a tailored filter system. We select treatment systems after seeing your lab report, because installing equipment without water analysis is just guessing.
We perform shock chlorination during a standard service visit. We size filters and UV lights using your lab tests and peak flow rate so water treats properly without slowing pressure. We pass lab testing fees through to you at the laboratory's actual cost.
How lab test results point to the right water treatment setup.
Bacteria hits and mineral issues require completely different filtration solutions. Finding total coliform or E. coli means we must chlorinate the well and find where dirty surface water entered. Iron, manganese, hardness, and sulphur cause staining and scale, requiring dedicated filter media inside your house. Fluoride, nitrate, and arsenic carry health standards that require specialized treatment equipment if test levels exceed guidelines. Bacteria problems do not mean you have high minerals, which is why we review full lab reports carefully.
Shock chlorination, and what it does not do
Shock chlorination sanitizes your well casing, pump, drop pipe, and home water pipes. Guidance calls for a 200 ppm chlorine mix sitting 2 hours in the well and 12 hours in household plumbing before flushing. Rules call for disinfecting your well after drilling, repairs, pump service, or when lab samples show bacteria. Chlorine kills current bacteria but will not fix a cracked cap or broken surface seal that let bugs in. A well that tests positive again after chlorination has a construction or setback problem, and we fix that at the wellhead.
What does treatment here include?
We install cartridge filtration and ultraviolet disinfection, matched to what the laboratory actually found. If tests call for water softeners, iron filters, reverse osmosis, or chemical feed systems, we specify equipment options before ordering.
How filtration and UV work together
Ultraviolet lamps kill bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, but UV light works only if water passes through without cloudy sediment. Health Canada warns that floating dirt blocks UV rays, so you must pass water through a sediment filter before UV disinfection. We install filters certified to NSF/ANSI 53 and UV units meeting NSF/ANSI 55 Class A standards. Order matters: placing a UV lamp directly after a well without sediment filtration means light cannot reach bacteria. That is the order we install them in.
What this ground actually puts in the water
Provincial water records highlight clear mineral trends across local aquifers. Under Cedar and Yellow Point, Aquifer 162 shows high sulphur, fluoride over drinking guidelines, coliform, trapped salty water, and sea water intrusion. Aquifer 709 on Gabriola Island has elevated iron, manganese, sulphur, and hardness, plus sea water intrusion at Silva Bay and Degnen Bay. At Errington, Aquifer 220 shows fluoride to 2.90 mg/L, sulphur, salt, and total dissolved solids averaging 542 mg/L in 2015 versus 2,500 in 2005. Sand and gravel layers in Cassidy are known for iron staining and swampy odours. We tailor water treatment to your specific aquifer data so your system targets real local issues.
Testing, and the rebate that pays for half of it
HealthLink BC recommends testing well water for bacteria at least once a year, and right away if clarity, colour, or taste changes. We recommend chemical testing when construction is complete and annually after that. The RDN Well Water Testing Rebate covers 50% of lab fees up to $350 once every 5 years for total coliform, E. coli, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, nitrate, nitrite, sulphate, fluoride, chloride, and metals.
What treatment work covers
Shock chlorination
Well, pump and distribution system disinfected, with a follow-up sample to confirm.
Cartridge filtration
Sized to household flow and installed ahead of any ultraviolet unit.
Ultraviolet disinfection
Installed on water clear enough for the light to work, never as a substitute for filtration.
Sampling to an accredited laboratory
We collect samples following laboratory instructions and send them out directly, doing no analysis in-house.
How we pick the right water filter or UV system for your home.
- 1
Sample — we draw water following lab protocols and ship samples to an accredited lab, testing nothing in-house.
- 2
Read the result against the aquifer — we review lab findings alongside known regional aquifer trends to understand what is affecting your supply.
- 3
Disinfect where bacteria are the finding — if lab results show coliform or E. coli, we shock-chlorinate the well, pump, and home plumbing, then test water again.
- 4
Find the route in — we treat a repeat positive as a wellhead, seal or setback problem rather than a water one.
- 5
Filter, then treat — we size cartridge filtration to your household flow and put ultraviolet disinfection downstream of it.
Coastal wells and salt
Tests confirm sea water intrusion at Silva Bay and Degnen Bay on Gabriola Island, and show potential risks in Aquifer 219 between Nanoose Bay and Parksville. In Cedar, Aquifer 162 records both sea water intrusion and ancient salty groundwater. Salty water cannot be fixed with a simple filter cartridge, so we adjust pumping rates to reduce salt drawdown from the aquifer.
People also ask
What does shock chlorination involve?
A chlorine solution circulated through the well, pump and plumbing. Disinfection guidelines specify a 200 ppm chlorine mix sitting 2 hours in the well and 12 hours in pipes before flushing. A follow-up sample confirms whether it worked.
Does ultraviolet treatment handle everything?
No. UV systems shine ultraviolet light to neutralize harmful bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. It does nothing for iron, manganese, hardness, fluoride or dissolved salts, and it fails outright where the water is not clear enough for the light to pass through.
How often should well water be tested?
For bacteria safety, HealthLink BC advises testing at least once a year, and sending a new sample right away if colour, clarity, or taste changes. HealthLink BC recommends testing well chemistry when drilling finishes and every year after.
Do you already have a water softener or iron filter in your house?
We install cartridge filtration and ultraviolet units. High hardness, iron, or manganese requires dedicated water softening or iron filter media fitted in your plumbing.
Related: well inspections and laboratory analysis, cleaning a well that has fouled, the construction standards a wellhead has to meet, and water wells at Cedar.
Find out what is under your property.
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