What Are the Treatments for Sulfur Water?

Sulfate in water causes it to have a bitter taste. Drinking it can lead to dehydration, as it also has a laxative effect. Water that has hydrogen sulfide in it smells like a rotten egg and can make you feel nauseous. In both cases, the water becomes undrinkable and requires treatment so you can use it without any problems. It is possible to turn polluted water into drinkable water by using some common treatments. These treatment options include chlorination, aeration and using a manganese greensand filter.

Chlorination

• Chlorine is available in the form of pellet drops and liquid chemical feed. If the pH balance of the water is between 6.0 and 8.0, you need to use chlorine continuously to treat it. The concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the water determines the amount of chlorine you need to use. Recommended dosage is 2.0 mg/L of chlorine for every 1.0 mg/L hydrogen sulfide.

  You need to add chlorine into the system one step before the mixing tank, and it should stay in the water for at least 20 minutes for it to be completely effective. Finally, the water treated with chlorine should be passed through a filter containing activated carbon. This will remove any trace of suspended sulfur and even excess chlorine.

Aeration

• Aeration is yet another common treatment for sulfur water, and it is best used if the concentration of hydrogen sulfide is less than 2.0mg/L. The process works when water is agitated violently via cascading or bubbling. This separates hydrogen sulfide from the water physically: It is "stripped" into a container and released into the outdoors in the form of volatile gas with the help of a waste pipe.

  If the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the water exceeds 10mg/L, aeration does not make for very practical home water treatment. The space requirements to treat such highly polluted water may be impossible to manage. Also, water treated in such a manner will require further re-pressurization before being distributed inside the house.

Manganese Greensand Filter

• Manganese greensand filter is a recommended treatment if your water contains less than 6.0 mg/L hydrogen sulfide. This filter has a special coating that converts hydrogen sulfide gas in the water to solid sulfur particles, which can be easily filtered. Once all the manganese oxide is used up, potassium permanganate is used to regenerate the greensand. In order for the manganese greensand filter to work properly, it should be regenerated regularly. In case the water has high amounts of hydrogen sulfide, you may need to regenerate it more often.

Considerations

• Sulfur can be found in drinking water in two forms: sulfate and hydrogen sulfide. Even though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given sulfur the status of a secondary water contaminant and it is not considered to be a direct threat to the health of humans, it is still a nuisance that you may want to get rid of.