Water in the form of rain or melted snow travels from the ground’s surface and through the soil to become part of a water supply. If the soil contains iron, the iron can dissolve into the wandering water and travel with it. Consider excessive amounts of tag-along iron as unwelcome extra baggage accumulated on water’s journey.
Corrosion
Exposure to a combination of water and oxygen causes iron to deteriorate; the casings and pipes of a well water supply have a passing acquaintance with both factors. If the casings and pipes contain iron, the acquaintance leads to this deterioration. Rust, the natural by-product of iron corrosion, flakes off the well’s components and into the water traveling from the well to our taps.
Human bodies require iron to function properly, but iron, like many substances, is toxic at high dosages. However, you could not drink enough water to consume toxic levels of iron.
The Environmental Protection Agency considers iron in well water as a secondary contaminant, which means it does not have a direct impact on health. The Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level set out by the EPA is 0.3 milligrams per liter, but this is merely a guideline and not a federal standard. Typically around 15 mg/L, Idaho’s well water does contain quite high amounts of iron, but the level is still not enough to cause physical harm.
Is iron in well water harmful? Truthfully, it will not affect your health, but it will cause costly damage and other issues.
Here are the four main treatment methods answer the question of how to remove iron from well water without the need to find a new water source:
Water Softener
Designed to remove minerals that cause hard water, softeners do remove small amounts of iron. Unfortunately, water softeners are not a filtration media so iron seems to settle into the tank, and backwash rates are never high enough to purge concentrations of heavy metals. So a water softener alone is not the solution.
Aeration
This method adds oxygen to the water to oxidize the iron. (Iron Zapper System)
Oxidizing Filter
This causes immediate oxidation and adds a reverse (backwash) flush system. (Iron Zapper System)
Chemical Oxidation
Adds Chlorine or Hydrogen Peroxide to oxidize/destroy the iron. A water filter treatment system is then used to remove the chlorine or hydrogen peroxide from the water before use. (Iron Zapper System)
Iron bacteria are tiny creatures that feed off iron and leave behind iron waste deposits. Similar to straight iron in water, they cause unpleasant stains, tastes and odors; additionally, they leave behind slime that sticks to pipes and fixtures and can introduce other, harmful bacteria.
The three main control methods for iron bacteria are: chemical treatment, pasteurization and physical removal. However, high concentrations of the bacteria may prove expensive and stubborn to remove, and control efforts may be only minimally successful.
There is a solution that has proven very successful…
Call: 208-475-4046