How do you remove rust from well water?
– Lorraine
Hi Lorraine,
High iron content in water can affect the taste, play havoc with your laundry, leave rings in toilets and tubs, and cause problems with washing machines and dishwashers.
Start by picking up an inexpensive water test kit at your local home center and test your well’s water for iron, pH, manganese, and hardness levels. You would then need to determine if you have soluble (clear water) iron or insoluble (red water) iron to determine how to treat it.
There are several different approaches to removing iron and other minerals from water, including:
- Filtration
- Softening
- Chlorination
- Ozonation
- Greensand
- Ion exchange
- Aeration
Depending on the type of iron, it can often be removed using a whole house water filter designed to remove iron or a water softener system. Water softeners use salt to help remove iron and other minerals from the water. For extreme iron problems, an additional rust remover can be added to the water softener system. If you want to learn more about these systems, read our guide to how much water softeners cost.
Good luck with your project,
Further Information
- Water Filters for Your Home (article)
- Hard Water in the Home (video)
- How to Remove Smells and Odors from Drinking Water (article)
- Iron in Drinking Water (Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources)
