Have you shock chlorinated your well yet?
If you have then you’ll want to follow up with a filter to remove any other organic matter or bacteria from your drinking water to keep your water pure.
Check It Out
If you haven’t already shocked your well to get rid of the bacteria then make sure you read this article on how to safely do it. Just click that link to read more.
There are a number of filters to remove bacteria and other pathogens from your well before it gets into your drinking water that are very effective.
Coliform bacteria is the most common problem that well owners face so you really can’t be without the proper filter.
If you don’t have time to read the whole article then check out the reviews table below to see which filters are best. Otherwise, make sure you read the whole article to see which one is going to be best for your situation.
Countertop
Gravity Fed
None
★ ★ ★ ★
$$$
Whole House
UV Rays
Easy
★ ★ ★ ★
$$$
Countertop
Reverse Osmosis
None
★ ★ ★ ½
$$$$
Under Sink
Reverse Osmosis
Moderate
★ ★ ★ ½
$$$ ½
Whole House
Reverse Osmosis
Moderate
★ ★ ★ ★
$$$$
In this article:
Water Filters That Remove Bacteria
Coliform bacteria on its own is not at all dangerous to drink or bathe in. However, it is almost always a sign that you have other microbes that could be dangerous. You don’t necessarily need to shock your well at the first sign of a coliform bacteria, but you definitely do need to have a filter to take care of preventing any illnesses.
Check It Out
Make sure you test your water to see what kind of bacteria you are dealing with. If you have certain coliform bacteria, you can get away with using a filter to keep your drinking water safe. Click the link to learn more about how to test for coliform bacteria.
Ultraviolet Water Sterilizer Systems
With this ingenious system you can sterilize the water without using any chemicals or pressure tanks.
As the water passes through the rod equipped with a UV ray any microbes like bacteria, viruses, algae and protozoa parasites are neutralized.
In fact, 99% of microorganisms are killed before they can reach the drinking water. The other 1% that aren’t killed have their DNA changed by the light so they are unable to reproduce and infect your drinking water as it sits in the pipes.
Maintenance is pretty much non existent with only needing to change the bulb once per year required. The price of the bulbs is not that much so the seemingly high initial price of the filter is offset by the fact that operating costs are minimal.
Heads Up!
Comes in 6, 8 or 12 Gallons Per Minute sizes so make sure to evaluate your water demand needs well. Removes total coliform, EColi, viruses, fungi, protozoa, cysts algae and more. However, UV is not recommended if the untreated water has a coliform content exceeding 1,000 total coliforms or 100 fecal coliforms per 100 milliliters.
PROS
- Environmentally friendly and doesn’t use any chemicals or waste water
- Works night and day, 24/7
- Doesn’t slow down water flow
- More effective than adding chlorine or chloramine to water supply
- No change in taste or smell of the water
- Uses very little electricity
CONS
- Only removes organic microorganisms and not any heavy metal, pesticides, or chlorine
- Only works when the water is clear ie will require a sediment pre treatment for some well owners
- Needs to be connected to power supply and won’t work in an outage
- Water can be very hot coming out of the faucet after long periods without use
UV Filter System
Best Ultraviolet Water Sterilizer System
Comes in 6, 8 or 12 Gallons Per Minute sizes so make sure to evaluate your water demand needs well. Removes total coliform, EColi, viruses, fungi, protozoa, cysts algae and more.
Reverse Osmosis Filters
Whether you choose a whole house RO water filter or a point of use one, ie under sink or countertop, you can filter out every kind of microorganism that may be lurking in your water. The other huge benefit is that they also filter out heavy metals, lead, arsenic, chlorine, chloramine and so much more.
They can be on the pricey side and are not without their disadvantages, but overall, these filters are something that every well owner should be considering even if you don’t have coliform in your water.
Look for a multi stage filter as they can remove over 1,000 contaminants. The way they work is that each stage has either a very fine membrane or various filter media like activated charcoal and ceramic. As the water passes through each of the stages more contaminants are removed.
Under Sink
For an under sink RO filter, I recommend the Naples Natural from Berkey. It is a 5 stage filter that is affordably priced and removes 99% of the contaminants in your water.
Here’s how it works:
- First – a sediment filter to trap particles, including rust and calcium carbonate
- Second – another sediment filter with smaller pores to remove the rest of solids from the water
- Third – an activated carbon filter with smaller pores to trap organic chemicals and chlorine
- Fourth – a reverse Osmosis filter, which is a thin film composite membrane having 0.0001 micron or 0.000000004 inch pores to separate Pure water from any remaining impurities.
- The 5th stage carbon filter polishes the resulting water to make it pristine.
It also comes with a pressurized tank so that the water flow doesn’t slow down when you turn on your faucet.
Under Sink RO Filter
Naples Natural from Berkey
Removes coliform bacteria and much, much more without losing any pressure from your faucet. 5 stages takes care of arsenic, heavy metals, pesticides and chloramines.
Whole House
For a whole house reverse osmosis filter, the iSpring RCS5T 500 GPD High Flow Residential is the best and most effective out there. It has a dual flow system that allows you to use the filter without doing periodic flushing to clean the membrane.
You don’t necessarily need a pressurized tank with it as it has a booster pump so you can keep your water pressure up. I do recommend a pressurized tank anyway though as your shower may not give you as much pressure as you may be used to.
You’ll get 500 gallons of purified water each day which is more than enough for most large households and even some small commercial applications.
Whole House RO Filter
iSpring RCS5T 500 GPD Reverse Osmosis Filter
Purify the water as it enters the house so you have safe water to drink and bathe in at every fixture. Dual flow keeps the filters clean and longer lasting.
Countertop
When you don’t have much room under your sink and you live in an apartment so a whole house filter is not an option you can still get purified water with an RO system for coliform and other contaminants.
A countertop zero installation filter is similar to a water pitcher one except it has multi stage filtration system that no water pitcher has.
You only need it to hook up to a power source as there is no installation. Simply pour the water into the tank and let the filter do the work. Once the water chamber is full you never have to worry about water pressure. Simply open the spigot and receive the water.I like the Zero Installation Purifier Countertop Reverse Osmosis Water Filter. It looks really nice on any counter and works very well. It has a 4 stage system that removes coliform plus so much more. It also adjusts the pH to a more normal level of around 7 pH. It takes roughly 15 minutes to purify a half gallon of water for drinking. It also tastes great as it does return some of the beneficial minerals in water like calcium and magnesium.
Countertop
Zero Installation Purifier Countertop Reverse Osmosis Water Filter
Besides coliform it also removes up to 99% of all contaminants: Fluoride, Chlorine, Heavy Metals & others. And with much less water waste than other filters.
Another countertop filter does require some installation but it is just a matter of attaching the hose to the faucet. Fitting all standard faucets, the APEC Portable Countertop Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System is one of the best. It has a case cover so it doesn’t look like you are running some kind of crazy science experiment in your kitchen if you have guests over. It is also much easier to clean with the case.
With this filter you get 90 gallons of purified water per day without losing water pressure if you use taps with 40 to 80psi.
Countertop
APEC Portable Countertop Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System
Simple to install it connects to any standard faucet. Enjoy purified water at your sink without taking up too much space.
Pros and cons of reverse osmosis filters
What To Like
- RO uses no chemicals or additives to the water to purify it
- Eco friendly as they use very little power
- Removes organic as well as non organic matter plus sediment which is ideal for any well owner
- Without chlorine, iron or other contaminants your water tastes great
- Filters are very easy to replace
What Not To Like
- All reverse osmosis filters waste water. Not all of the water makes it through so sometimes as much as 50% of the water is wasted
- Without an alkalizer the water can end up acidic
- If you don’t get a dual flow like the one listed above then the filters can get clogged and need flushing
- It takes time for the water to pass through the filter and can impact water pressure
Gravity Fed Filters for Coliform Bacteria
Probably the simplest system is the gravity fed filter that sits on a counter and passes the water through several types of media. You can remove coliform bacteria plus heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, arsenic, fluoride and so much more.
They require no installation and no power. You just pour the water into the top and led it filter down to the spigot where you can fill your glass or pitcher. If you lose power then this is the best way to go since it can be used totally off grid.
The best gravity fed filters out there are made by Berkey. They come in several sizes from a travel one for 1.5 gallons up to a 6 gallon version.
There are ceramic filters to get rid of sediment and the bacteria and other organic microorganisms in your water. It can filter down to .5 microns small but still allows healthy trace minerals through.
The next level is activated carbon. Volatile organic compounds (aka VOC’s), chlorine, chloramine and chemicals get absorbed by the charcoal and let the water pass through.
Lastly, there is a nanometal like silver to remove heavy metals and prevent any bacteria which may have gotten through the ceramic layer to reproduce.
The downside to these is that the water passes quite slowly. The biggest filter will take about 2 and a half minutes to filter a gallon of water.
Made out of stainless steel you never have to worry about BPA or any off taste from plastic.
Check out the whole line of Berkey Gravity Fed Filters.
Gravity Fed
Berkey Gravity Fed Countertop Filters
Nothing to install and work great in an emergency or off grid. These stainless steel filter dispensers purify your water with different stages.
FAQ About Coliform Bacteria Removal
Yes, you can boil water to get rid of coliform. You should have it go to a rolling boil for about a minute. This is effective in an emergency but not very practical if you are looking to drink your water on a regular basis.
Yes, UV filtration systems are very effective at killing many types of bacteria including coliform and E Coli. It doesn’t kill giardia, however or cryptosporidium.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to knowing how to remove coliform bacteria from your well drinking water, then at least there are a lot of options.
After shocking your well, you would be wise to use any of these filtration systems not only for E Coli and other pathogens but heavy metals, arsenic and so many other contaminants which can be found in your well or even city water.
These days it is more important than ever to do what you can to always be drinking water that is safe and healthy.
If you have any questions let me know by dropping a comment in the box below.
YourH2Home is your go to site to get the most up to date information on all your water system needs.
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