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If you have finally decided to address the iron contamination from your private well, this article will undoubtedly help you.
While there are many methods for solving the iron contamination from your wells, knowing the right approach will help you solve the problem a lot easier and faster.
In this post:
Identify Iron in Well Water
Before we go with the different methods in solving iron contamination, it is essential to identify if your well has been contaminated. There are mainly three indicators that you can use to determine if your water has been contaminated with iron.
- Taste – Metallic or rustic taste is the earliest indicator that your water is contaminated by iron.
- Clogged pipes – Another important indicator of iron contamination in private wells are clogged pipes. Iron is a solid mineral that will eventually build up and cause clogs in your pipes.
- Color – the most obvious and validating proof of iron contamination. If your water turns muddy, yellowish or red, then your well water is definitely contaminated with iron. Furthermore, the deeper the color is, the severe the contamination is.
Cheapest Way to Remove Iron from Well Water
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If you want fast and cheap but effective methods in removing iron from your well water, using filters will be your go-to choice. Not only are they affordable and useful, but they are also effortless to install and use.
1. Water Sedimentation
Water sedimentation involves the use of sediment filters, which will block and separate iron from your water. The sediment filter will act as a roadblock and collect all the iron deposits while the water flows through the filter.
While it is cheap and easy to do, water sedimentation is only recommended for those who have problems with the smell and taste of their water. If your problem is more than the smell and taste, then water sedimentation will most likely not be effective. Furthermore, it will require regular replacements of sediment filters as iron deposits will build up over time and cause clogs.
2. Activated Charcoal
Another cheap but effective method of removing iron from well water is through the use of activated carbon filters, which absorb not only iron but also other contaminants present in your water. It is very effective in removing the taste and smell of iron in your water.
Getting and installing an activated carbon filter is also very cheap and easy-to-do. However, like sediment filters, deposits of iron and other contaminants will build up over time, which will cause clogs.
Furthermore, not using the activated carbon filter for at least five days may promote bacterial growth, potentially causing harmful effects.
More Advanced Way to Remove Iron from Well Water
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If you want a more permanent and large-scale solution to iron-contaminated well water, using either one of the methods below will undoubtedly yield positive results.
1. Oxidation
The process of oxidation for iron contaminated water involves the use of chlorine and potassium permanganate in your wells. These chemicals will serve as the killers and disinfecting agents of iron and the countless bacteria and contaminants that have inhabited your water. After the oxidation process, a proper filter is then used to filter out and remove the chlorine and potassium permanganate from your water.
2. Aeration
Aeration involves using air injectors to add oxygen in your water supply to oxidize iron. Adding oxygen in your water supply will cause chemical reactions that will allow the iron to be dissolved entirely and eventually evaporate from your water supply. While aeration is an effective method, most experts do not recommend it to large scale operations.
3. Water Softener System
A water softener filtration system is a filtration system that involves charging up your water with salt ions to make the water “softer.” Soft water is water free from solid minerals, making it safer for your health and household utensils and items.
A water softener filtration system works by removing the solid minerals such as iron, calcium, and magnesium from your water and charging it up with salt ions to disinfect. The water will then pass a series of filters to filter out remaining solid minerals and allow “soft” water to pass through.
4. Reverse Osmosis Filter
A reverse osmosis filter is a filtration system that uses several layers of thin membranes that are designed to block and filter large molecules and other dissolved solid contaminants and only allows pure water to pass through. Its layers of thin membranes will ensure that it will be able to block impurities no matter how miniscule and dissolved it is.
Reverse osmosis filters are best for those who want their tap water to be safe for drinking and consuming. In fact, most food and beverage manufacturers rely on water that underwent the process of reverse osmosis for their products.
Conclusion
Overall, any of the mentioned methods above will undoubtedly be effective in addressing the iron contamination in your well water. The only thing that you will have to consider is the scale of the contamination of your well water.
While the cheaper methods may work, it will be impractical to apply them if the iron contamination in your water is very prevalent and large-scale. And conversely, if you use the advanced methods in minimally contaminated well water, you will just be wasting your money and won’t be able to maximize the method’s features and capabilities.