How to Remove & Prevent Iron Bacteria in Well Water: Complete Protocol

1. What Iron Bacteria Look Like

• Slime: Thick, rust-colored or brown goo on toilet tanks and faucet screens.
• Smell: Rotten-egg or musty odor, especially first thing in the morning.
• Water: Clear at first, then turns yellow or cloudy after sitting.

If you see all three, assume iron-reducing bacteria (IRB) and often sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are living in your well, pressure tank and/or softener resin.

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2. Confirm the Bug – Testing & DIY Clues

1. Sniff test: Swirl a glass of cold tap water; a swampy smell confirms SRB.
2. Toilet-tank check: Lift the lid—slime ropes hanging from the float arm are classic IRB.
3. Bottle test: Fill a clear 500 mL bottle, cap it, let it sit 24 h. Iron bacteria turns the water tea-brown and forms floating, glossy films.
4. Lab kit: Order a certified bacteria test and request “iron-bacteria presence/absence.”

Rule-out: Ferric iron (orange tint) with no slime is just mineral iron—not bacteria.

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3. Pick Your Kill Method – Overview

Table

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Method	Kills	Best For	10-Year Cost
Shock chlorination	90 % surface bacteria	Minor slime	$80
Chlorine pellet feeder	95 % + continuous	Moderate, recurring	$650
Peroxide injection	99 % + no taste	Severe or high iron	$950
Pasteurization	99 % + no chemical	Deep, thick bio-film	$2,500*

*Professional service only.

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4. Shock-Chlorination Protocol (DIY) – Expanded

A. Gear List

• 5.25–8.25 % plain laundry bleach – no scents, no splash-less.
• Garden hose long enough to reach the well head.
• 5-gal bucket, funnel, waterproof gloves, safety goggles, chlorine test strips.

B. Dosage Cheat-Sheet (target 200 ppm free chlorine)

Table

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Casing	Gal/ft	Bleach per 50 ft of water
4 in.	0.65	1 qt
6 in.	1.47	3 qt (0.75 gal)
8 in.	2.61	1.3 gal

Add 1 extra pint per 100 gal for house plumbing (water heater, pipes).

C. Step-by-Step

1. Bypass equipment – turn off water softener, RO, and water heater; drain a few gallons from the tank.
2. Calculate water – Use the table above or the free Bleach-Dose Worksheet (download link in opt-in box).
3. Mix & pour – Fill bucket half with water, add bleach, finish filling.
4. Recirculate – Run hose from outdoor tap back into the well for 30 min.
5. Distribute – Open every tap until chlorine smell detected; start outside to avoid lawn damage.
6. Contact – Let stand 12–24 h (no laundry, minimal toilet use).
7. Flush – Outside first, then inside until ≤1 ppm chlorine (test strip).

Time total: 3–4 hrs active + 12–24 h contact.

D. What to Expect After

• Cloudy water for 24–48 h – iron precipitate; normal.
• Slight chlorine smell – fades in 2–3 days if you flush thoroughly.
• Slime gone for 3–6 months – repeat every spring & fall if bacteria return.

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5. Install Continuous Chlorine Feeder (Moderate Cases) – Deep Dive

A. Equipment

• Champion-style pellet feeder – 1-in. PVC drop tube hangs in well.
• 120-V submersible-rated cable and hose clamps.
• Carbon back-wash filter (1.5 cu ft) to remove residual chlorine before softener.

B. Set-Up

1. Drill ¼-inch hole in well cap; insert feeder tube to 10 ft below static level.
2. Fill tube with ¼-inch calcium-hypochlorite tablets (50 % available Cl).
3. Adjust drip rate: 1 pellet per 100 gal pumped ≈ 0.5 ppm residual in house tap.
4. Install carbon filter after pressure tank; back-wash every 3 days.

C. Costs

Feeder $240, tablets $90/year, carbon filter $450. Ten-year total ≈ $650.

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6. Peroxide Injection (Severe or High-Iron Wells) – Full Walk-Through

Hydrogen peroxide (7 %) oxidizes iron, manganese and destroys bio-film without the “swimming-pool” taste.

A. System Layout

• Stenner peristaltic pump (fixed or variable speed).
• 15-gallon solution tank (food-grade HDPE).
• Static mixer (6-in. PVC packed with marbles) for 30-second contact.
• Back-washing catalytic carbon to remove peroxide residual.

B. Dosing Rule

1 ppm H₂O₂ per 1 ppm Fe + 2 ppm for bacteria. Typical well: 4 ppm Fe → 6 ppm peroxide.

C. Install Steps

1. Mount pump on wall near pressure tank.
2. Inject after pressure switch, before contact tank.
3. Connect ½-inch PE drain line to laundry sink – air-gap required.
4. Set timer: 15 s injection per pump cycle (adjust with flow data from your pump cycle log).

D. Costs

Pump $280, tank $90, carbon filter $500, peroxide $160/year. Ten-year ≈ $950.

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7. Physical Removal & Pasteurization (Extreme Infestation)

When slime thickness >¼ inch or flow drops >20 %, pull the pump and scrub the casing with a bottle brush attached to PVC pipe. Flush debris upward with a garden hose jet. Follow immediately with shock chlorination or heat pasteurization (160 °F for 30 min).

Note: Requires a licensed well contractor and special equipment; cost $1,500–$2,500 but gives the highest success rate.

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8. Prevention Checklist – Keep Them Gone

✅ Sanitize tools – Dip drill bits, pumps and pipes in 200 ppm bleach before they enter the well.
✅ Water-tight cap – Extend 12 in. above grade; use vermin-proof vent.
✅ Chlorinate after every repair – Even new pump swaps.
✅ Pellet feeder – Inject 1 pellet every week during humid summer months.
✅ Test yearly – Bacteria presence/absence each spring.

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9. Troubleshooting After Treatment

Table

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Symptom	Cause	Fix
Slime returns in 2 weeks	Bio-film in pipes	Re-shock, then install continuous feeder
Chlorine smell >3 days	Under-flushed	Run hose 12+ hr until strips read ≤1 ppm
Red-water streaks	Iron precipitate	Normal first 48 h; sediment filter will catch

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10. Bottom Line – Which Route Saves You Most?

• Minor slime: $80 DIY shock twice a year.
• Recurring odor: $650 chlorine feeder + carbon—pays for itself in one avoided service call.
• Heavy bio-film or high iron: $950 peroxide injection—no taste, no chlorine by-products.
• Thick casing slime: $2,500 pro pasteurization—highest kill rate, 20-year fix.

Act early—iron bacteria are easy to control, expensive to eradicate once they coat every inch of your plumbing.

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