– How do people avoid contaminating their water, if they have a small lot with well and septic?
In: 9
Aquifers are deep; septic systems are shallow. The effluent from the septic tank is discharged in biologically active layers of topsoil. Bacteria acts on it. The layers of soil between the surface and the aquifer act as a filter, removing biological materials.
Horizontally, wells are supposed to be located a certain distance from any part of the septic system, so that ground water can’t infiltrate around the well casing.
Wells *can* be biologically contaminated. While the aquifer is generally inhospitable to bacteria, it is not immune. Well water should be tested periodically, and it is good practice to occasionally sanitize a well with fairly large quantities of bleach. The [CDC outlines the general procedure](https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/private-drinking-wells.html).
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