UV disinfection
Bacteria and viruses inactivated without chlorine, at the well.
How it works.
UV light at 254 nm inactivates bacteria, viruses, and protozoa — including chlorine-resistant Cryptosporidium and Giardia — without adding any chemical to the water. It's the right answer for a well that tested positive for total coliform, for any well after a flood, and for households that don't want chlorine residual in their plumbing.
UV disinfection works by exposing flowing water to ultraviolet light at 254 nm, which damages microbial DNA so organisms can't reproduce. NSF/ANSI 55 Class A systems are validated to inactivate bacteria, viruses, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia at a 40 mJ/cm² dose; Class B systems (16 mJ/cm²) are for supplemental disinfection of already-potable water. Either way, UV adds no chemicals, no taste, no smell, and no residual.
UV requires upstream sediment and carbon prefiltration — turbidity scatters UV and reduces effective dose, and iron or manganese coats the lamp sleeve. The standard well stack runs a 5-micron sediment cartridge → carbon block → UV chamber, sized to the home's peak flow rate (10-12 gpm for a typical residence). Annual lamp replacement is non-negotiable: UV output decays even when the lamp still glows visibly. Most NSF-certified systems include a UV intensity sensor and audible alarm.
UV does not remove anything dissolved — no arsenic, no nitrate, no DBPs, no PFAS. It's a microbiological control, paired with whatever filtration the rest of your water chemistry requires. After any positive coliform test on a well, the right next step is shock chlorination plus permanent UV disinfection plus a re-test.
Symptoms we see most often
- Positive total coliform or E. coli on a well test
- Well after a flood, fire, or new construction
- Surface-influenced spring or shallow dug well
- Household member immunocompromised or pregnant
Every uv disinfection job
- NSF/ANSI 55 Class A UV chamber sized to peak flow
- Sediment + carbon prefilters
- Annual lamp replacement and sleeve cleaning
- Optional UV intensity monitor and alarm
Special considerations by city
Every city in our service area has its own water chemistry, source, and history. Pick your city for the specific numbers, regulations, and recommendations that shape how uv disinfection should be configured at your address.
Eight cities served across the Rogue and Klamath basins. Tap a row to expand.
Eagle Point
Eagle Point's rural well universe — Agate Desert, foothills toward Shady Cove, parcels east of the city — includes shallow wells and surface-influenced springs where bacteriological contamination is plausible. After any positive total coliform or E. coli result, OHA recommends shock chlorination plus permanent disinfection.
NSF/ANSI 55 Class A UV is the standard residential answer: 40 mJ/cm² dose validated to inactivate bacteria, viruses, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia, with no taste, smell, or chemical residual. Annual lamp replacement is non-negotiable — UV output decays even when the lamp visibly glows.
Jacksonville
Jacksonville's foothill and Applegate-area private wells include shallow and surface-influenced sources where bacteria can intrude after heavy rain, snowmelt, or septic system events. The Oregon Health Authority recommends UV disinfection or periodic shock chlorination after any positive coliform result.
NSF/ANSI 55 Class A UV is the standard residential answer, sized to peak household flow and paired with a 5-micron sediment cartridge plus carbon block for prefiltration. Annual lamp replacement is required regardless of how the bulb looks.
Talent
Rural Talent wells affected by the September 2020 Almeda Fire deserve special bacterial scrutiny. Damaged wellheads, contaminated surface runoff, and lost well-head integrity are all plausible after a major fire event. OHA's wildfire well testing program covered total coliform alongside BTEX, arsenic, and lead (OHA — Wildfire-Impacted Well Testing).
For any well that tested positive for total coliform — including wells sampled once in 2020 or 2021 and not re-tested — the standard answer is shock chlorination plus permanent NSF/ANSI 55 Class A UV disinfection plus a confirmation re-test.
White City
White City's private wells often pull from shallow alluvial aquifers in the Agate Desert. Bacteriological contamination is plausible, especially after heavy rain or septic-system events. UV is also a defensible bacterial control for any well undergoing remediation for the area's larger industrial-VOC concern.
NSF/ANSI 55 Class A UV at the well-house entry, paired with sediment plus carbon prefiltration, is the standard residential stack.
Shady Cove
Shady Cove's private-well universe includes shallow wells and surface-influenced springs where bacteriological contamination is plausible after heavy rain, snowmelt, or septic events. After any positive total coliform or E. coli result, OHA recommends shock chlorination plus permanent disinfection.
NSF/ANSI 55 Class A UV — 40 mJ/cm² validated dose — is the standard residential answer, paired with sediment and carbon prefiltration. Annual lamp replacement is required.
Gold Hill
Gold Hill area wells in surrounding rural parcels include shallow and surface-influenced sources where bacteria can intrude. After any positive coliform result, the standard residential answer is shock chlorination plus permanent UV disinfection plus a re-test.
NSF/ANSI 55 Class A UV at the well-house entry, paired with sediment plus carbon prefilters, is the standard stack — sized to peak household flow.
Grants Pass
Grants Pass-area private wells, especially in the Williams, Murphy, and outlying Applegate corridors, include shallow and surface-influenced sources. UV disinfection is the standard residential bacterial control after any positive coliform result.
NSF/ANSI 55 Class A UV at 40 mJ/cm², with sediment plus carbon prefilters and annual lamp replacement, is the right specification for residential wells.
Klamath Falls
Klamath Falls city water is chlorinated and meets bacteriological standards — UV isn't relevant for city customers. For private wells in Klamath County agricultural valleys, on the basin's outer rim, or in geothermally influenced aquifers, UV is the standard residential bacterial control after any positive coliform result.
NSF/ANSI 55 Class A UV at 40 mJ/cm² is the right specification, with sediment plus carbon prefiltration to protect lamp performance from iron and turbidity.
Three visits. Done right.
- 01
Free on-site test
We test your tap or well for the contaminants that actually apply to your city and geology — not a generic 14-panel sticker.
- 02
Right-sized install
Flow rates, household size, and symptom priorities decide the system. Sourced from certified NSF manufacturers — never a one-size pitch.
- 03
Annual checkup
We come back once a year to swap media, retest the water, and catch anything small before it grows.