Iron – Water Purification Guide

Water that contains iron can appear reddish (insoluble iron), yellowish-brown (organic iron) or clear with red particles that settle at the bottom (soluble iron). A metallic taste, clogged pipes, yellow teeth and laundry stains also indicate iron in water. Iron test kits and certified laboratory testing can determine the amount and type of iron in water. Iron makes up about 5% of the earth’s crust, and is one of the most abundant resources on earth. When rain falls or snow melts, it dissolves iron and seeps it into rivers, lakes and underground water sources. Let's take a more detailed look into the different methods you can use to determine if there is iron in your water. We'll also go through lots of helpful information about iron in water such as its good and bad effects, and the types of iron that could be in your water. Then, we can look at some ways you can remove iron from your water. Key Points High concentrations of iron can give water a metallic taste and odor, while also creating a reddish-brown or yellowish color.Water that contains high levels of iron over long periods of time can stain appliances and clog pipes.Home DIY test kits and laboratory tests are the best methods to determine how much iron is in your water, and which type of iron. How to Know If There Is Iron In Your Water Three forms of iron can be present in tap water: 1. Ferrous Iron: this is also known as soluble iron and is clear and colorless. However, after standing for a while, the water becomes reddish as the ferrous iron oxidizes into the ferric iron particles that settle at the bottom of the glass. 2. Ferric Iron: this is also known as insoluble iron. It gives water a reddish-brown color similar to rust. 3. Organic Iron: organic iron is formed when iron reacts with organic acids, which are widespread. Organic iron is usually yellow or brown and, in some cases, it may be completely colorless. It's mostly found in shallow wells or wells that are affected by surface water. There are a few ways to confirm that there is iron in your water. Each of these methods has pros and cons, and some are more accurate than others. How to know iron is in you water. Image created for waterpurificationguide.com. 1. Water Aesthetics - taste, color and smell When present in high enough concentrations, iron can cause your tap water to have an unpleasant metallic taste, smell, and even color. The aesthetics of your tap water is usually an early hint of the presence of iron in your water. Iron in water also gives your food and beverages that same metallic taste and sometimes, it can cause these drinks and meals to have an unpleasant dark black color. Green leafy veggies boiled in iron-containing tap water can wilt and turn dark, while tea and coffee can turn black from tannins reacting with organic iron. If the iron present in your tap water is ferrous iron, the water will initially be colorless when it first comes out of the tap. However, after letting it stand for a while, the ferrous iron will react with the oxygen in the air and become ferric iron which is reddish and insoluble. After standing for a while, the particles will settle to the bottom of the container. Here are some easy color tests you can do at home: The types of iron in water, and how to test and treat them. Pros Cheap identification methodEasy and quick Cons UnreliableDoes not indicate the quantity or type of iron in the water 2. Iron Test Kits Using an at-home water test kit is an easy way of detecting the presence of iron in your tap water. If there is iron in your water, the iron test kit will also give you an estimate of the amount of iron in mg/l or parts per million (PPM). The iron test kit contains some test strips – which are strips of paper or plastic impregnated with some chemical substances that change color when they react with iron – as well as a color chart. How to use an iron test kit depends on the specifications of the manufacturer. However, the procedure is typically straightforward. Simply dip one of the test strips into a sample of your tap water for a few seconds. Remove the strip from the water and wait for a few more seconds for the test strip color to change. Compare the color of the strip to the color chart to get an estimate of the amount of iron that is present in your water. The home water test kit tells you if there’s iron present in your tap water and gives you an estimate of how much iron there is. However, this test doesn’t tell you what form the iron is in – whether the ferric form or the ferrous form. Pros AffordableGives relatively accurate estimates of iron levels in waterEasy to use Cons Does not differentiate the forms of iron present in the water. 3. Red, brown or yellow stained laundry and dishes Iron in water can become oxidized and form iron oxides. These iron oxides, such as rust, easily attach themselves to the fibers of clothing or to the surfaces of dishes and fittings. This type of staining can be an indication of iron in your water, but it can also simply be a sign that one of your appliances is corroding. For example, if you are only seeing signs of iron-staining on your dishes then your dishwasher (or the pipes that connect to it) may have begun to corrode. Pros Simple identification method. Cons Does not identify the form or amount of ironCan be misleading and identify iron from an appliance rather than the water supply. 4. Certified Laboratory Testing Getting your tap water tested by an accredited or certified laboratory is a much better way of detecting and quantifying iron in your tap water than doing it yourself using home iron test kits. Usually, when you order a test, the laboratory will send you a kit that comes with instructions on how to collect samples to be sent back to the lab. This test gives you a more detailed report of the iron in your water. It can give you information about the forms of iron – whether ferric or ferrous – that is present in your water and the amount of iron in your water. Our recommended laboratory test for iron is the Tap Score Iron Water Test. Once you get the test kit, collect samples of your drinking water into the available containers according to the instructions in the manual. This test has a turnaround time of about 5 days and you will get a detailed report about the iron present in your water. Pros The results are very accurate. It is the most accurate method of checking for the presence of iron in the water. Cons Slower than other methods. 5. Yellow teeth Drinking water high in iron can cause tooth enamel to change color, usually yellow. In fact, studies have also found that iron can absorb onto dentin, the part of the tooth that lies beneath the enamel. Identifying yellowing of your teeth, and your family members can be a sign there are high concentrations of iron in your water. Pros Simple, easy method. Cons Inaccurate - the staining may be the result of other minerals, food etc.Slow method, as teeth stains take considerable time to develop. 6. Clogged Pipes Some bacteria thrive in the presence of iron, and are called iron-oxidizing bacteria (or 'iron-bacteria' for short). While these bacteria may not be directly harmful to health, they feed on iron and leave behind slimy iron waste deposits. The resulting sludge has a foul odor and can accumulate over time and block your plumbing supply pipes. It can also affect your appliances like dishwashers and washing machines. Pros An easy, but indirect method of identifying iron in water. Cons Inaccurate - the staining may be the result of other minerals, food etc.Slow method, as teeth stains take considerable time to develop. If you get your water from a public water system and not a private one, you should contact your utility provider. This will tell you whether the excess iron in your water is from the public water supply or if the issue is from your home’s plumbing system. The Effects of Excess Iron in Water The presence of iron in water doesn’t usually affect our body’s health negatively. So, a large amount of iron is considered a secondary contaminant, affecting just the taste, smell, and look of water. However, drinking water with more than 0.3mg/l iron can put you at risk of health issues, such as iron overload, poor skin, and dental cavities. Poor skin When you drink water containing too much iron, it can affect the health of your skin by increasing your risk of cellulitis, a type of bacterial skin infection. Excess iron in the body can also increase the formation of free radicals in your body. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can damage previously healthy cells. When free radicals attack skin cells, early signs of aging such as skin wrinkling and thinning will begin to appear. Iron overload This is when there is too much iron in the body. This excess iron can form deposits on organs, causing them to malfunction. Iron overload is not a common side effect of excess iron in drinking water. It usually only occurs when someone has hemochromatosis, a rare inherited illness, caused by a genetic mutation that leads to an abnormal increase of iron absorption from the intestine. Dental Issues Drinking water containing excess iron can lead to dental health problems such as discolored or stained teeth, gum infections such as periodontitis, and even dental cavities. In normal quantities, iron is an element that acts as a very important mineral in the body where it is used in the formation of blood and the transport of oxygen to the various parts of the body. The body finds it a bit difficult to absorb iron from water, so most of the iron the body uses is gotten from iron-containing foods such as meat, spinach, and other leafy greens. What Is The Acceptable Level of Iron in Drinking Water? Iron is a widespread element and is very likely present in your tap water. The EPA has set the maximum acceptable level of iron in tap water at 0.3mg/l. However, some wells are likely to contain higher quantities of iron, particularly in regions that have high levels of iron in their soil and rocks.U.S. Environmental Protection Agency When iron is present in higher quantities than this, it begins to affect the water aesthetics (e.g. its taste, smell, and appearance) and may even be dangerous to health. Apart from the health and aesthetic concerns, excess iron in water also affects your plumbing, appliances, and laundry. How to Remove Iron From Your Water Fortunately, you don’t have to deal with the unpleasant taste and effects of iron in your water. There are simple appliances that can quickly and effectively remove iron from your drinking water: 1) Water filter pitchers 2) Filter bottles 3) Reverse Osmosis Systems, 4) under-sink water filters and 5) whole-house systems. 1. Water filter pitcher Water pitchers used to have just basic water filters to remove particles from your drinking water. Now, there are water pitchers available with top-of-the-line filtration technology that are able to remove iron from your drinking water. Our top pick is the ClearlyFiltered Water Pitcher which is one of the most powerful water filter pitchers on the market. This water filter pitcher can remove up to 99.9% of the iron in your water as well as over 360 other impurities in water. Water Purification Guide has detailed information on which water filter pitchers can remove iron (and how they remove it) available here. 2. Filter bottle Water bottles with filtration technology reduce your need for single-use plastic water bottles. It is a long-lasting green alternative that can provide you with clean water on the go. Our recommended filter water bottle is the Epic Nalgene OG water filtration bottle. It removes over 83% of iron from your drinking water and also removes several other water contaminants. 3. Reverse osmosis system Reverse Osmosis (RO) is not a recent technology, but in recent times, it has gained more popularity and widespread use as it has developed to become more efficient at removing impurities from water. The 800 GPD Tankless RO System is a reverse osmosis system that we recommend and can remove >90% of the iron in your water. It has 3-stage filters and 8 layers of membranes that remove heavy metals such as iron and several other contaminants that may be in your drinking water. A complete guide to which reverse osmosis systems can remove iron is available here. 4. Under-sink water filter Under-sink water filters are a great point-of-use filtration system, especially if the iron in your water is coming from your household plumbing line. An under-sink water filter will be able to remove the iron introduced to the water from the pipes in your home before you drink it or use it to clean your food or for cooking. The ClearlyFiltered 3-Stage Under the Sink Water Filter System is one of the best under-sink water filters available and can remove 97.1% of iron from water. Water Purification Guide has more detailed information on which other under-sink water filters can remove iron available here. 5. Whole house system For a wider-scale solution to the problem of iron being present in water, you can opt for a whole-house filter system that removes all the forms of iron present in your tap water. We recommend the Guardian Whole House Water Filter from Crystal Quest. It is a cost-effective but highly efficient whole-house filter system. Most of these products are also available for purchase on amazon.com so be sure to compare prices: Clearly Filtered | PitcherEpic Nalgene OG | 32oz BottleWaterdrop G3-800GPD | Reverse Osmosis SystemClearly Filtered | Under-Sink FilterCrystal Quest | Guardian Whole House Filter How does iron get into tap water? Iron enters our tap water from the dissolution of iron-bearing minerals in rocks and soil over time, and from surface runoff after rain. Corrosion of pipes can also cause iron to enter our water supply. If you live in an area where the rocks and soil have high iron content, then rain and melted snow can dissolve the iron and seep it into your well water. This is called surface runoff. Also, if the pipes supplying water to your house from your well are made of iron, continuous exposure of these pipes to water and oxygen can cause them to rust and deteriorate. As water runs through the rusted pipes, the rust flakes off and falls into the water and then into your appliances. Can I contact my utility provider to know the amount of iron in my water? Your utility provider is required to publish a report, at least once every year, on the type and amount of substances in the water they supply. However, the quantity of iron stated in this report may not reflect that of your tap water because iron may be introduced into your water supply via old iron pipes as they transport the water to its point of use. Contacting your utility provider may not be the go-to option to find out the iron content of your tap water because iron could enter your water through old iron pipes or other parts of your home’s plumbing However, after using any of the methods explained in the article to confirm if there is iron in your water, you can contact your community utility provider to help you figure out the source of the iron. What Do I Do If My Well Water Has Excess Iron? If your well water has excess iron, you can try to bypass the iron-rich water by extending your well casing or screen deeper into the ground. However, this will only be effective if you are able to reach a different aquifer that is not within rocks of high iron content. Digging a new well depends on the presence of a suitable, accessible underground aquifer, preferably at a location with soil that is possibly less iron-rich.