Orange Water

[Tempestuousfury]

Lady came to the store today and told me her tap water was from a well and would generally turn an orange color when she turned on the hot water (she said she did not get the orange color with cold water). Wondering what this orange color is (she thought it was iron, perhaps). If it is iron, what would be suggested to remove it (other than plants)?

Thanks

 

[Teelie]

It does sound like iron, or iron oxide (rust). Best way to treat it is either to use treated water (distilled, R/O/ spring water, etc), use cold water (though some rust particles will still be in the water) or invest in a filter though depending on how hard the water is, this might be an expensive option. One other very expensive option is replacing the pipes with newer ones if they're rusting.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

The distiller seemed like an intriguing idea. Would this be a standard distiller?

 

[Teelie]

I was thinking distilled water you get at Walmart or any other shop, but I suppose making a distillery could do the job as well. Never tried it though.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

well, the orange has nothing to do with the well if its only the hot water. its the water heaters fault if the water is discolored like that.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Thought as much, but the lady made a point of mentioning the well water.

 

[WayneVT08]

The pipe from the source, has been leaking, or has in the past, and the orangish color is a bi-product of the rust that has formed on that pipe. Since the cold water pipe is fine and not producing this oragnish color, there is no rust, you just have to get in there and check it out. That's about all you can do to check for it.

 

[Taridan]

The other thing she could have her water checked for is Manganese... Its similar to Magnesium, but if she wants to raise fry, this is Important to check for.

One summer when it was really dry our well got low, then later we started getting an orangish brown tint to all of our white clothes that got washed... we found out the Well had had some Manganese near the bottom or whatnot, and we basically had to tyedye all of our old whites since it wouldn't bleach out.

The reason I mention the fry is, both of our broodmares were pregnant at the time, and BOTH foals were born with a Club hoof, (Where a tendon is shorter/tighter than it should be, making the hoove angle too vertically and putting extra pressure on the joints.) They've never had Clubbing in their ancestors, and after we moved they've had foals, and those ones were fine too. So we think It might have been the water.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Thanks for the manganese tip, I'll tell her if she ever comes back in.

As for checking the pipes, that would probably also be something she could do easily enough. *nods*