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Red Water Treatment

An overabundance of iron is the typical cause of red water in the home. As the water leaves the pipes and is exposed to air, the colloidal iron in the water oxidizes and turns red. In most cases, the iron enters the water during the percolation of rain and surface water through the ground into the water table. Other times the corrosive process of acidic water in iron pipes causes iron to leach into the water. Iron is not harmful, but can cause an unpleasant appearance, taste and smell that water treatment can remove.

  1. Features

    • Red water can have a musty or metallic smell and taste. Manganese is often found in water that contains a high amount of iron. It enhances the unpleasant effects on the water. The presence of iron in water can cause the development of bacteria that feed on both iron and manganese. The bacteria are not harmful to humans, but create slime and change the color and textures of food and beverages. They also cause staining on kitchen and bath fixtures, as well as laundry staining. Iron and manganese also clog up pipes and build up in appliances, affecting their performance.

    Expert Insight

    • The first action in determining the right treatment method for any water issue is testing. Finding the right filtration or treatment system to remove the iron involves also identifying the levels of any other contaminants in the water. There are several treatments that are effective on iron and manganese, but not on other contaminants. The other contaminants will help determine the right treatment for a particular situation.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Lime can be used as a treatment if the iron comes from the main pipes. It is typically used more by municipal water systems than by individual homeowners. Lime can be added to acidic water supplies to reduce or eliminate the corrosion that takes place in iron pipes. Lime also prevents corrosion by bonding with carbon dioxide in the water to form calcium carbonate, which forms a protective coating inside the pipes.

    Considerations

    • The goal for any home treatment system is to reduce the amount of iron to below 0.3 parts per million (ppm), the threshold for undesirable effects to occur. Many times, drilling a new well in a new location or to deepening an existing well can mitigate the problem. Asking neighbors about the quality of their water, as well as where and how deep their wells are, can help you figure out which solution is best.

    Water Softeners

    • Water softeners remove iron, calcium, magnesium and other common minerals from water. They do so by using negatively charged ion pellets and sodium or potassium chloride brine to bond with the positively charged minerals to neutralize them. Some water softening systems are not capable of removing iron, so the system needs to be selected carefully. Some water softening systems are used along with another filtration system.

    Filters

    • Filters can be combined with aeration or chemical oxidation to remove iron from the water, or they can be used on their own. Aeration adds air to the water, which makes it easier for the filter to remove the iron particles. Chemical oxidation changes the iron into a form that filters out better. Filters such as oxidation filters are used on their own, but use a lot of water because they need to be backwashed often to remove iron particles so the filters can remain effective.

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