The most common treatment is shock chlorination, which sounds like a punk band but is actually just dumping a massive dose of bleach down your well. It’s like giving your water a hot, chemical bath—imagine your well screaming, “I’VE BEEN BLEACHED!” You pour in enough chlorine to smell like a swimming pool, let it sit for 12 to 24 hours, then flush it all out. It’s violent. It’s dramatic. And it works—unless your well is cracked or your septic tank is leaking, in which case you’re just bleaching the local earthworm parade.
Pro tip: Don’t do this when you’re wearing white clothes. I learned that lesson the hard way, and now my favorite shirt looks like a distressed art piece called “Regret.” Also, run your hoses until you can’t smell chlorine anymore—otherwise, your first post-treatment shower will feel like you’re bathing in a hospital.
