Total coliforms are a broad family of bacteria found in soil, plants, and the digestive tracts of animals. Most are harmless on their own — but their presence in your well means a pathway exists for surface contamination to reach your drinking water, and that pathway could also let dangerous bacteria in.
Total coliforms present, E. coli absent: your well is vulnerable but there's no direct evidence of fecal contamination yet.
Total coliforms present, E. coli present: fecal contamination is confirmed and immediate action is needed.
Neither present: your well is bacteriologically safe as of the sample date.
Well cap that isn't sealed watertight.
Cracked or degraded well casing near the ground surface.
Poor site drainage that pools water around the wellhead.
Shallow well construction, especially in older properties.
Shock chlorination usually clears the well, but only permanently if the source is fixed. WellInsight inspects the wellhead, corrects obvious defects, disinfects the well and plumbing, and re-samples to confirm. If the well has a history of coliforms, we typically recommend a UV disinfection system as a permanent safeguard.
Not sure what your results mean or which treatment fits your home? Contact us at WellInsight for a plain-English walkthrough of your options.
WellInsight is independent, WQA-certified, and based in New Hope, PA. Contact us directly — no upsells, no pressure.
