Water Contaminants: What are indicators of iron in water, or manganese in water?

I think you’ll agree with me that those rust colored stains on appliances are so annoying! Or- perhaps even worst- water that tastes and/or smells bad too.

Well, it turns out that if you have any of the below indicators, you could have a problem with iron and manganese in your water:

rust colored stains on your appliances and clothing
bad tasting and/or smelling water
Or maybe even sludge growing in your toilet tank

Basically, you will know it if your household water or well water is contaminated with iron and manganese.

In today’s post I’m going to cover the signs you may have iron and manganese in your water. I will also consider the side effects of iron and manganese. Plus, I’ll recommend some water filtration systems to help you tackle your iron and manganese water issues.

Iron in water / Manganese in water is a secondary pollutant that should be treated

Regulatory bodies that deal with water problems identify iron and manganese as secondary pollutants. Secondary pollutants don’t pose an immediate health danger. Rather, they create aesthetic problems due to unpleasant odors, tastes, and colours, etc. Authorities suggest that water with contaminant levels greater than 0.3 ppm of iron or even more than 0.05 ppm of manganese should be treated.

Side effects of Iron in water / Manganese in water

Elevated levels of iron and manganese may affect the flavour and colour of water and the food that’s cooked in it. Iron will frequently cause yellow to red brown staining of laundry, porcelain, dishes, utensils and glassware. Both iron and manganese may build up in pipes, pressure tanks, water heaters and water softeners – lowering the accessible water pressure and increasing the operating costs of these devices. The bacteria from them may also cause problems in your household. While these microorganisms present no direct threat to wellness, they do produce a red brown or black brown slime the fact that may accumulate in toilet tanks, pipes or other devices and clog your water system.

Another unpleasant side effect of the presence of iron and manganese bacteria is that they often create hydrogen sulphide. Hydrogen sulphide gives water an unpleasant rotten egg odor. There are very different types of iron and manganese that may be present in your household water supply. It must be noted that manganese is common in residential water products and is often present in combination with iron. This is the most typical type of iron present in domestic water resources. Since the water from the tap may look clear and clean, it’s also called clear water iron. Iron and manganese may turn back into its insoluble form after coming into contact with oxygen in the air.

Ferric iron is iron which has already oxidized. It’s easily seen due to the water discoloration or there are small grains of rust in the water. Even though not as common as its counterpart soluble, insoluble iron may cause severe problems to those who’re afflicted with it. Soluble and insoluble iron can show up together in a water sample.

Recommended Water Filtration Systems for Iron in Water and Manganese in Water

Whole house or Point of Entry 316L Stainless Steel Industrial Grade Water Filter with 0.2 Submicron Absolute Cartridge (PS-SS20BIV) – 0.2 submicron absolute “charged” nanofiber cartridge that removes iron, manganese, parasites (cryptosporidium & giardia), bacteria, cysts, particulates, sediment, and other biological hazards.

Two Stage Whole House Bacteria Water Filtration System (BG-202BIV) – Two Stage Whole House Bacteria Water Filtration System absolute rating “charged” nanofiber cartridge that removes iron in water / manganese in water.

About Premiere Sales

Premiere Sales is family business that has been helping customers since 1997. We carry a wide range of water products including water filtration systems, replacement water filters, drinking water faucets, parts and accessories, and more. Our friendly, knowledgeable water filtration experts can answer any of your water treatment questions. We have speedy processing with most orders shipped the same day. And to top it all off, our prices are simply the best. Clean, great tasting water is just a phone call away – call us on (760) 282-4668 right now!

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Whitney

Whitney is a water filtration blogger with over 10 years of experience in the water treatment field. She started off in the office for Premiere Sales many years ago, and her interest and technical knowledge in water filters grew and grew. Nowadays she leads customer care and technical product support, and even helps develop new water filtration products. She completed her Media Communications MA and MBA degrees at Regents University London. Whitney is on a mission to help people easily understand and learn about water filtration.