In the right conditions, these bacteria can multiply at astounding rates, to the point that an entire system can be rendered inoperative in a matter of a few months. They produce a familiar reddish-brown gelatinous mass of bacteria, iron hydroxides, and water that is very difficult to remove completely. This slime is not a health hazard, but it corrodes equipment, clogs screens and pipes, and smells foul, leaving well operators and their customers with scowls on their faces and headaches as they try to deal with costly maintenance and aesthetic issues. Other types produce sulfuric acid, which will enhance corrosion in your well casing and pump equipment. Treatment Is Tricky Iron bacteria occurs because of a combination of physical, chemical, and microbiological factors, so successful control measures need to address all of these elements.
Prevention is difficult, except where high levels of disinfection are constantly practiced.
The same iron bacteria control equipment used to reduce fouling in existing wells can be included during a new well's design and construction, making it much less expensive than adding it in the future. Fouling is the result of not dealing appropriately with the bacteria in the first place. A March 1993 Opflow article suggests moving the biofouling plug to where it will be less of a problem to the water system. For example, if the plug is in the gravel pack and well-screen zone, it could be moved into the aquifer by injecting aerated water either directly down the well column or through a series of injection wells set peripherally around the producing well. A second suggested method, which is patented, moves the plug out into the groundwater system where a much larger surface area is made available over which the biofilms can grow.