You will know if you have iron in your water when your kettle is brown on the inside, white clothes especially come out stained after a wash and shower units, taps and fixtures have a brown discolouration.

Iron in water supplies is primarily linked to those homes or farms on a well supply.  Because iron is such a common element accounting for a minimum of 5% of the earth’s crust almost all water supplies whether they be ground water or surface water contain some amount of iron.

There are 4 forms of iron that you may find in your water supply and this generally varies depending on the geographical area you live in.

Water with iron particles over 0.2 parts per million is classified as requiring treatment under EU guidelines on drinking water. For this reason it is important to test water for iron and ph levels before deciding on what method of treatment to use.

• • Ferrous iron is dissolved iron in water. The contribution of high carbon dioxide and low dissolved oxygen levels contribute to the formation of this colourless clear form of Iron.
  • Ferric iron or insoluble iron can be seen as a brown discolouration in your water supply. This form of iron is most often the type seen in kettles, shower heads and toilet fixtures. It is often referred to as rust or red water.
  • Organic Iron, also known as iron bacteria can cause pipes to clog. It can also be recognised due to its foul-tasting smell.
  • Colloidal iron gives a red-pink colour to your water and the iron appears to float on the top of the water. This type of iron stays suspended in the water.

What should I do if I have iron in my water supply?
Removing Iron from my water

Due to different of varieties and levels of iron in water supplies it can be quite difficult to recommend one particular type of equipment for its removal so the water test should be analysed first.
However with approximately 90% of iron issues in Ireland primarily due to Ferric iron with levels below 5 parts per million or less EWT would recommend the E611 Iron removal unit. For well supplies it is also advisable to put additional treatment such as UV and Reverse Osmosis onto the drinking water supply to prevent bacterial infection in well water from entering the home and drinking water supplies.

For more information on the removal of Iron in your water contact EWT on 1850 39 28 37, email [email protected] or visit our website www.ewtechnologies.ie