The chlorine should not damage a water softener, and most water softeners can handle some amounts of iron. The normal regeneration of a water softener should get rid of the iron that has been trapped by the softener. It should be considered contaminated and boiled before any consumptive use. Bottled water is an acceptable alternative to boiling the contaminated water. Bottled water is routinely tested and can be considered safe.
Chlorine is placed in the well and fed into the water distribution system.
The fire hydrants are then flushed to move the chlorine to all parts of the water system as quickly as possible. The chlorine must stay in the water system for at least two days to ensure maximum kill of the bacteria. The chlorine addition is then stopped and the fire hydrants flushed to remove all of the chlorinated water. Once the chlorinated water has been removed, the water is retested to determine if the bacteria are gone and if the water is safe. It tests show the water to be safe, the water system may notify its customers that the water no longer needs to be boiled.