Iron
Over 25% of the Earth's crust is iron. So it is no surprise that one of the most common reasons water treatment is needed is because of iron. Iron will manifest itself in two different forms.
- Ferric Iron is a suspended solid. It will make the water appear red or yellow.
- Ferrous Iron is a dissolved solid, and is colorless. If you have ferric iron, the iron is oxidized and will immediately appear red or orange.This can range from a yellow tinge to a bright orange. Ferrous Iron is colorless because the iron has not completely oxidized. If allowed exposure to air, it will oxidize and also turn orange.
Iron certainly causes noticeable problems. It will create rust stains on fixtures that require strong chemicals to remove. It will build up in plumbing, sometimes to the point of completely blocking pipes. It causes the water to taste and smell metallic. Clothes washed in water with iron will turn brown or orange.
Iron is generally measured in parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/l). As little as 0.3 ppm of iron can cause staining on clothes and fixtures, and impart an unpleasant taste to drinking water.
Iron is very easy to test for. Once we see the level of iron, and figure out if it ferric or ferrous, we can remove the iron with an iron filter.
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