Well water often contains at least small amounts of some contaminants, including the metals iron and manganese. At low concentrations, these metals aren’t harmful to your health, but they can cause staining. Iron causes orange stains while manganese leaves brownish-black stains. Soaps and detergents don’t remove these stains, and the use of chlorine bleach can actually intensify them.
Test Your Well Water for Contaminants
The presence of stains often makes it obvious that iron and/or manganese are present in your water supply, but it’s still a good idea to use a test kit to determine the exact concentrations of each of these contaminants. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Secondary Drinking Water Standards recommend that your drinking water contains no more than 0.3 parts per million of iron and 0.05 parts per million of manganese. Iron concentrations as low as 0.3 parts per million can cause staining. In addition to the concentration, it’s important to determine the form of the contaminants present in your water. If the water collected from your well is initially clear but then turns orange or black over time, this means that the contaminants are dissolved in your water. If solid particles of iron and/or manganese are apparent immediately in your well water, this means that the contaminants are in an oxidized form. Knowing the concentration and form of the contaminants in your water will help you to determine the most effective treatment.
Investigate Water Filtration Systems
Concentrations of iron and manganese can be effectively removed from your well water with an affordable home filtration system. Expensive systems like tanks aren’t necessary for the most common well water contaminants and won’t be any more effective at preventing staining in your home. At WAVE Home Solutions, our well water filtration systems ensure that clean, healthy and odor-free water flows from every faucet in your home. Our three-stage filtration process removes iron, manganese and other contaminants without the use of chemicals, electricity or salt. It also eliminates hydrogen sulfide, a gas that often accompanies iron and manganese and causes an unpleasant, rotten egg odor. For instances of extremely high levels of contaminants, we do also offer effective tank systems. Contact us today for more information on the solutions we offer.
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