Poor Water Quality: Is This a Sign of Iron Bacteria? If Not, What Is It?

[xquercus]

A year ago I purchased a place with well water with high iron content. A water analysis is available via PDF here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/26841058/water-test-results.pdf if anyone is interested (couldn't attach it as it's over 19.5kB). It shows 5.1 mg/L of iron. I've attached two pictures of a pint glass drawn from my pressure tank. It sat for 18 hours before photographing and became redder over time. I don't use the water for drinking but I'm looking to treat the objectionable iron taste so I can do so. Currently, I use the water for other domestic uses after going through a (likely failing) water softener.

I noticed that a film of sorts has formed on top of the water after it sat for 18 hours. This film is visible in the attached pics. It's been suggested by an online water treatment company (based on my description alone) that this is a sign of iron bacteria. I'm going to have a test done for iron bacteria but I'm also wondering what people here think. Maybe it's iron bacteria. Maybe it's something else. If it's something else, what should I be looking at? I can certainly get the water tested for iron bacteria, but am wondering if it's a sign of something else as I don't really have any of the other 'symptoms' of iron bacteria in my well water.

As an aside, the water was originally non-potable due to the presence of coliform. The well was shock chlorinated a year ago when I purchased the property as a condition of the lender. This may be something which requires ongoing treatment but it may very well be due to critters falling down the well casing because of the horrible cap which was on the well head. I'll be retesting and we'll see.

I've also included info on my general well setup and some pics just for the heck of it -- even though it doesn't really have anything to do with the question of "what is this film that forms on top of my water".


Type of pump?
Submersible_Some type of Submersible
Two wire (no control)_Yes
Three wire (control box)_No
Wire Size_________ Wire Length________
or
Jet Pump (above ground)_________
One or two pipes down the well____

Size of Pump?
Motor Horsepower?_Unknown
Pump Model #_Unknown
Date Pump Installed_Unknowns

Pumping from?
Cistern tank_No
Pond, lake, river_No
Water Well_Yes
Depth of well_Unknown
Depth to water_Unknown
Pump Setting_Unknown
Pipe Size_Unknown
Drop Pipe Material -- I don't know what a drop pipe is.
PVC_Unknown
Steel_Unknown
Poly_Unknown

Well Recovery Rate_Unknown gpm
Well Casing Diameter_6â€
Rock Well__________ Sand Well__________ Other_Unknown
Date Well Drilled_Unknown

Well Casing Material
PVC_No Steel_YES Other_No


Pressure Tank?
Bladder or diaphragm tank (one pipe to tank)_Yes
Size or model of tank_Amtrol Well-X-Trol WX-202
Air charge in top of tank, with pump off and water drained_Unknown PSI
(check with car tire gauge)
or
Plain Hydro Pneumatic tank (two pipes to tank, one in and one out)_________
Size of tank________________

Pressure Switch Setting?
On 30, off 50 _YES
On 40, off 60_no
Other_____________

Pump Control Method?
Cycle Stop Valve model #_NO
Variable speed control #_No
Pump Start Relay (sprinkler timer, no tank)_Just a Square D pressure switch, I guess
Manually turned on and off____________

Pump Protection
Cycle Sensor_Unk
Pumptec_Unk
Low pressure cutoff switch (lever on side)_I don't believe so
Other_______________

Filters or Softeners_Water Softener
Before or after pressure tank_After pressure tank
Type of filter_
Bypass available_Yes

Water Used For?
House Use_Yes, 1 person Number of baths_One Number of People_One
High Flow Showers_None gpm?
Plus/Or
Irrigation with timers_None
Irrigation with hoses_None
Heat Pump_None gpm?


Problems Experienced
No Water_________________ N/A
Water only part time________ N/A
Water at all times but weak_____ N/A
Air in water_______________ N/A
Pressure surging___________ N/A
Water Hammer (noise)______ N/A
Too Much pressure_________ N/A
Other_Poor water quality


Pump makes clicking or buzzing sounds_No
No Sounds_No
Pressure gauge reading________psi
Other____________________________________

Do you have, and know how to use
an Ampmeter and Voltmeter_Yes

Describe Problem_Poor Water Quality

 

[LLigetfa]

Whether or not you have iron bacteria doesn't change the fact you have iron. The bacteria simply feeds off the iron and imparts a rotten egg smell.

You would probably get more advice in the softener forum. They deal with all water quality issues, not just hardness.

Get an iron filter. The iron has most likely fouled the media in your softener and it probably no longer softens the water.

If you have a bacteria issue, then chlorination is probably the best way to treat both the iron and the bacteria otherwise, aeration may be adequate.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

Any sulfur smell? I guess the tests don't normally test for that, so it is up to your nose and your friends' noses.

You need a backwashing filter (or other suitable non-trivial solution) after your pressure tank and pressure switch, but before everything else you use in the house. Budget maybe $1200 give or take.

Also consider discussing what works well on the local water with the neighbors. They will probably be glad to give advice.

I would chlorine shock the well. Get some test strips on order to measure chlorine at about the 100 to 200 ppm level. Since you don't know the depth of you well or the water level, you will re-circulate water back to the well, add a bottle of household bleach slowly, wait until you can smell chlorine. You are shooting for about 200 ppm. It may take a few hours if your recirculating water is low. Judge how much more bleach to add based on what you see. Then run the bleach water through all of your plumbing so you smell bleach at each faucet. You would like each faucet to be 50 ppm or more. You may want to turn off and drain the water heater, because otherwise it will be hard to get enough chlorine in the hot water heater and pipes. Search for descriptions.

I think you have a problem with iron more than you do iron bacteria. That coliform bacteria is a problem. The bleach will take care of the various bacteria if you do it sufficiently.

Let the chlorine go down with flushing and time before bathing with the heavily chlorinated water.

I use catalytic carbon filter for iron and sulfur. It was very effective for me. These look to be helpful websites. I am not a pro.

http://www.excelwater.com/eng/b2c/our_product_wh.php
http://www.uswatersystems.com/blog/...nt-pyrolox-or-filox-to-remove-iron-or-sulfur/

 

[xquercus]

@LLigetfa -- Yes, I should have been more clear. I do indeed have a significant iron problem. My goal is to address the iron issue so I can drink the water as well. At this point I'm at the stage where I'm simply trying to get a picture of what's wrong with my water. In addition to the iron, the 'sheen' is of concern as well. It's been suggested that it may be caused by IRB. I'm looking for other possibilities as well so that whatever system gets installed will be designed to address ALL of the water's problems. I believe you are correct that my water softener has been fouled. My understanding is that the effectiveness of a water softener to remove the type and quantity of iron I'm dealing with is quite controversial. It's what the previous owners installed.

@Reach4 -- Thanks for the info. I see that uswatersystems sells IRB test kits. I might actually do the test myself rather than have a lab do it. My local labs don't test for sulfur and after reading the uswatersystems site, I see why -- it needs to be done immediately. Their kit includes a sulfur test. I don't think I have a sulfur problem, but want to get a comprehensive picture of my water quality before I have someone spec out a system for me. There have been a couple of occasions where I have smelled an extremely faint sulfur smell from my hot water (oil fired boiler DHW source) but it's so minimal I doubt it's an issue. Still want to quantify it to make sure. I've been looking at a variety of 'non-trivial' backwashing systems to deal with iron. One of the key issues I've come across is that IRB tend to foul pretty much anything. If they are present, they need to be removed/dealt with using a system (such as chlorination) before whatever iron removal system is employed.

 

[LLigetfa]

My untreated water looks much worse than yours but post-treated is crystal clear. I use an iron filter before my softener. I aerate the water with a micronizer and then use a hydro-pneumatic tank for contact time and to precipitate the iron. Even with the iron filter, I get some iron fouling of the softener resin. My micronizer will only draw air through the lower half of the pump cycle so I need to improve that.

I used to do periodic manual resin cleaning with Super Iron Out but later switched to using Morton® System Saver® II Pellets. Later, I switched to Morton Rust Remover Pellets.

 

[VAWellDriller]

watercheck.com offers what I've found to be the absolute cheapest and most comprehensive testing services (may help identify the sheen)...besides that, check out the Water Right sanitizer series treatment equipment; I've had very good luck.