Birm® For Removal of Iron and Manganese

Next to hardness, iron in well water is a pesky problem. Municipal water companies treat their water with chlorine which eliminates iron for the most part. Private wells can use a chlorinator to treat iron but if iron is the only problem to be treated, then a Birm filter might be the way for you to go.

Birm is produced by Clack Corporation of Windsor Wisconsin. It is a black, granular media designed for both industrial/commercial and residential applications and weighs about 50 pounds per cubic foot. It is used to remove iron and manganese in water that does not contain sulfides. Although it can be used in conjunction with an aeration system which removes hydrogen sulfied prior to being treated with Birm.

Birm does not require regeneration but should be backwashed regularly. There is no oxidizer to add as is required with a Greensand filter so no regeneration is required. It precipitates the iron in water rendering it easy to filter. Birm has a very low attrition loss and a long lifetime expectancy making it one of the lowest cost/maintenance methods of treating iron. Birm should not be used with chlorinated water as it will deplete the catalytic coating on the Birm granules. The pH level of the water should be 6.8 or higher (9.0 max) for best results. The water's pH level can be raised with a Calcite filter prior to the Birm filter system if needed.

Birm should not be used to treat water that contains hydrogen sulfied. If your water has a "rotten egg" odor to it, you will need to remove the hydrogen sulfied before treating the water with Birm. Water Value Co. carries the Terminator iron removal system that uses 3 stages of iron removal, the 3rd stage being the auto-backwashing Birm filter itself.

Product specifications and manufacturer's web site:

Clack Corporation

Birm Filter Media