IRON

Iron in New Hampshire Water

Iron is a naturally occurring metal found in New Hampshire’s bedrock. It is also the fourth most common mineral in the earth’s crust. Naturally, because we drill our wells into the earth’s crust, it is common to have some dissolved in our well water.

Problems

Iron has an orange or rusty colored stain, and is associated with staining clothing such as white shirts, skirts, sheets, and towels. Iron also stains toilet bowls, bathtubs, showers, dishwashers, and even the kitchen sink. It has a metallic odor and taste associated with it, where the odor and staining worsen as the concentration increases.

Iron coats the insides of your water pipes as Iron supports the growth of iron bacteria, which can clog pumps, pipes, and valves. A rusty orange tint in hair, commonly known as well hair, is a condition primarily experienced by women. As little as .30 mg/L of iron will stain whatever it comes into contact with. The higher the iron concentration in your water, the harder the chore of cleaning will be.

Health Risks

The EPA has not set a health standard for iron in private wells. There are no known health risks associated with iron in well water at this time.

Treatment Options

There are a few treatment options to remove iron from your well water. McBride’s Water Advantage recommends treating it separately before any water softening is done. We prefer to use the whole house, oxidizing manganese/greensand iron filters. These water systems are similar looking in appearance to water softeners. These iron-removing systems will remove 90 to 95% of iron and manganese long-term. If needed a water softener can then soften and remove the rest of the iron. This dual approach will then give a superior water quality treatment for many different impurities.

Schedule Water Testing in New Hampshire today!

Protect your family and test your water. Call us today to speak with a specialist and schedule an appointment. 603.736.4470