Iron In Water

Iron in your drinking and bathing water can be a real problem. While for the most part, it is not supposed to pose any health risks, the smell and color, not to mention the red, yellow or brown stains on your plumbing fixtures and in your laundry, can be downright repulsive.

The commercials on TV tell us we can get rid of those rust stains and mineral build-up by purchasing and using their cleaning products. We say, why not eliminate the offensive condition altogether? This week, we're going to discuss the iron that exists in many private wells, the different types, how to identify which type you have and what you can do to get rid of it.

Soluble Iron also known as "ferrous iron" is sometimes referred to as "clear water iron" because you can't see it (at first). It is the most common type of iron in this country and the type that is the origin of most water quality complaints. You can tell if you have soluble iron in your water by filling a clear glass with some and waiting. In a few minutes, you'll notice brown or red particles appearing which settle to the bottom of the glass (you've just witnessed oxidation!). If the particles are black, you also have manganese in your water. Manganese can be treated the same as iron for the purpose of removal.

Insoluble Iron or "ferric iron" is quite the opposite of soluble iron. It is immediatley noticable when you fill a glass with water. Often referred to as "red water iron", it appears as rusty red or yellow in a clear glass. There are serious taste problems associated with insoluble iron.

Organic Iron is iron that has combined with natural acids in your water to become an organix complex. It is usually the result of a shallow well and while it can appear colorless, it is usually yellow or brown.

Bacterial Iron in your water can become a serious problem. Iron bacteria consumes the iron in your water to survive. It leaves behind a reddish brown or yellow slime that can clog your pipes and plumbing fixtures, not to mention having an offensive odor.

Removing Iron From Your Water. Once you've identified the type of iron in your water, it's not too difficult to choose the right treatment or filtration system for getting rid of it. The following are suggestions along with examples that currently work for us.

Aeration along with some type of filter system works well on iron and manganese. An air injector is used to oxidize the iron and a mixing tank then separates the hydrogen sulfide gases from the water. The remaining solid iron is then removed with an auto-backwashing Birm filter. Water Value has a selection of AquAmerica/Fleck Terminator series filter systems that work well for iron with an odor to it.

Common Ion Exchange Water Softeners will remove iron up to 3 parts-per-million (ppm or mg/L). The iron is exchanged with the less offensive sodium ion which is rinsed down the drain. While not designed specifically for iron removal, standard water softeners can be used to treat iron as well as hardness. For iron content above 3ppm, devices such as a Turbulator or Pentair's new Tornado can be added to more aggressively backwash the resin media for removal of iron. Fine mesh resins can also be used but not in conjunction with an aggressive turbulator.

Manganese Greensand Iron Filters use potassium permanganate as an oxidizer for removing dissolved iron with an odor to it. The greensand iron filter media traps the offensive odor, iron and manganese which are released periodically by backwashing with the potassium permanganate.

A Birm Filter enhances the reaction between oxygen and iron then filters insoluble iron. The Birm filter media does not use external oxidation and only requires periodic backwashing to remove trapped iron. If your water does not have odor, the Birm filter is a good choice.

Chlorination works well for killing bacterial iron and converts soluble iron to an insoluble state for easy filtration. Chlorine can be added to the water at the well with a dry pellet dropper or through a chemical feed pump inside the home. It is strongly recommended that an activated carbon filter be used to remove the chlorine once it has done its job. Chlorine is commonly used by municipal water treatment facilities throughout the country for killing bacteria and removing iron in water, but it should be noted that while chlorine itself is not poisonous in small doses, it does react with many common elements in water to become a carcinogen. Along with an activated whole-house carbon filter, chlorination is probably the most effective treatment for most types of iron.