In homes, water from taps may start to change color for several reasons. If you are using your private well, you might be experiencing many contaminated issues that can result in the water turning brown. Some brown water cases are more severe than others, and your health and that of your family are at risk depending on how contaminated the water is. If the water coming out is brown and leaves stains on your sinks and bathtubs, you are advised to look for ways to fix the situation. Here are some guidelines on what causes the wells’ contamination and how you can get rid of well brown water.
Causes of Brown Well Water
Knowing why your well water is brown is vital to know which steps to take to solve the issue. Brown water in wells is caused by several impurities, including;
1. Iron
Iron gets to a well’s water supply system from the earth’s crust or the rusty, corroded pipes and plumbing. It can as well enter through the underground aquifer, mainly when rains get absorbed into the underground. If the area you live in has mostly iron as standard underground water, it is more likely that your water will get contaminated when it rains. Some of the iron types that result in brown water include ferric, ferrous, and iron bacteria. It may be hard to see the iron in water, but it can affect the taste of water, smell, and leave stains on your items. Iron bacteria tend to be the most dangerous type of iron because they can cause the water supply pipes to clog.
2. Tannins
Tannins are organic compounds that exist in plants and are released during the vegetation breakdown. Tannins seep through the earth where there are rain and snow and pass to the well through soil and leaves via an aquifer. Water-containing tannins don’t pose a safety or health risk when consumed, but they can bring about significant problems in your home, such as staining clothes, fixtures, and taps. Besides the staining, water containing tannins have an astringent aftertaste, and if left untreated, it can impact how you use water and even cook.
3. Rust
Iron oxidizes when exposed to water, and oxygen leads to rust formation. Reddish-brown rust stains in sinks and faucets, bathtubs, and toilets are common in any area where iron-laced water can be exposed to oxygen. Rust causes pipe corrosion, and it can also result in cracking and weakening of pipes if the iron concentration is high. You may also have problems with your skin and hair if you wash in discolored water containing dislodged rust.
Treatment
Before choosing the method of getting rid of brown water, it is essential to understand the cause of water turning brown in the first place. It is not best to guess what your water problem is, even if there is evidence of the change of color and rusty stains. The easiest method to determine the issue is to test your well water using well water testing kits from a certified company. These kits are designed to detect bacteria, iron lead, and many other issues leading to water contamination. After testing, you can use the below-mentioned ways to get rid of well brown water. This post explains how to get rid of brown well water.
Air injection oxidization
The air injection oxidation method treats contaminated water by introducing oxygen to the water-containing pressure tank. The oxygen will oxidize iron and manganese, which causes the oxidized particles to stick to the media bed’s surface. The media bed will regenerate correctly, flushing itself clear of the collected impurities. This method works well for the removal of particular contaminants except for tannins and bacteria removal.
Sediment Filtration
A sediment filter is best for filtration of dirty, discolored water with sediment problems. It usually has pores of size 1 to 5 microns designed to properly remove dissolved solids like sand, rust, dirt, and sand. It can be used as a sole filter or an exclusive filter or installed at the start of your home’s water filter system. For best results, it can be used alongside other methods like reverse osmosis systems.
Reverse Osmosis
The reverse osmosis system works effectively and can remove almost all the contaminants from dirty water. In this system, water flows through several filtration stages and a reverse osmosis membrane capable of removing pollutants from bacteria to sulfur and other water contaminants. You can install this system before the water heater in your home to give you and your family access to clean water.
Replacement of rusted pipes
If rusty pipes cause the brown-colored water in your home, the only perfect way to solve the issue is to replace pipes in your house. This job is complex and should be by a qualified plumber. The cost of or replacing the pipes varies according to the plumber you choose and the number of pipe replacements needed. It is good to get them replaced soon than ignore them, which costs a lot later.
