Well Diagnostic “Well Dx”
Recommended for private wells with biofouling concerns such as odor, color, turbidity, decrease in pump capacity (Q/s) or a persistent presence of total coliform bacteria. This is the basic starter test to determine the state of the well and what needs to happen further, depending on the outcome of this test.
Time Lapse Diagnostic for the Groundwater Rule Recommended for municipalities that have wells which consistently demonstrate positive total coliform bacteria in the raw water samples and have had “hits” in the distribution system. This test includes one time lapse Groundwater Rule Coliform test, using a Colilert® presence/absence and a heterotrophic plate count using the SimPlate® technology. Samples are taken at 9 different time periods to get a clear picture of what is happening with the well.
Zones of Interrogation Projection “ZIP Test”
Recommended for municipal or commercial wells which have experienced drops in capacity (Q/s) and associated biofouling problems. Taking a single sample from the water well does not have the ability to give a great deal of information about the well. It is through the careful sampling during a pumping sequence that this information can be extracted, such as determining the scale of biological and chemical events that are interfering with the physical movement of water into the well.
Note that if ZIP tests are performed before and after a biofouled (plugging) well has been successfully treated by either some form of preventative servicing or regeneration procedure, then it becomes possible through comparing the before and after ZIP to determine how effective the treatment has been.
Multiple sampling is much more of a forensic tool to determine the state of fouling in the well. This is based on the writings and research of D. Roy Cullimore (2008) who invented the ZIP testing technique, as well as other well testing innovations. This test can be taken in intervals of 3, 6 or 9 time periods, and is repeated 52 days later to reexamine the state of the well and determine the efficacy of the treatment.
Speciation of Heterotrophic Aerobic Bacteria (HAB)
Recommended for wells demonstrating difficulty in remediation or have a continual high chlorine demand. When a well is disinfected, it does not destroy all of the microbes, but only those that may be infectious to humans. Microorganisms that can cause plugging and corrosive events continue to survive and may not even be slowed down by the disinfection treatment. Identifying the predominant aerobic bacteria that may colonize the borehole, screens, and substrate can be beneficial in determining the best treatment course to take.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa by “Pseudalert”®
Pseudomonad bacteria are often present in waters that contain oxygen and are rich in organic pollutants (e.g., gasoline, jet fuel, solvents). The presence of pseudomonad bacteria may indicate that aerobic biodegradation is occurring and biofouling may also be happening within the system being tested. Some pseudomonad bacteria may be a hygiene risk. Pseudomonad bacteria can cause a range of problems in water, including slime formation, turbidity, taste and odor, corrosion, biodegradation, and hygiene risks. Pseudomonad bacteria produce distinctive odors such as “fishy” or “kerosene-like” odors. In recreation waters (such as swimming pools, hot tubs, restricted natural bathing sites), the presence of aggressive fluorescent pseudomonads can cause skin, eye, ear, and urinary tract infections. This includes a Pseudomonas aeruginosa presence/absence test, and a possible quantification of those bacteria.