Types of Iron

• The first type is soluble and is the most common among households. Red particles are evident in your drinking water and can be seen clearly with the naked eye as they settle to the bottom of your glass. The other type of iron is insoluble. In this case, the particles blend fully with the water, creating a reddish or orange tint to the water, as if food coloring was added.
  
  

Testing

• Test your water first, before any type of treatment is bought or applied. According to North Dakota State University water quality specialists, a complete water test should be administered to determine the extent of your iron problem and test for concentration levels, bacteria, pH levels, alkalinity, and hardness.
  
  

Treatment

• Filtration is one of the best methods to remove iron from your water system. With filtration, a screen traps and separates iron particles. There are two main types of filters used. One is called a greensand filter. This filter contains a green clay substance that contains iron referred to as glauconite. Its ion exchange properties allow it to absorb any iron in your water. According to NDSU's water quality specialists, greensand filters are best and most effective for treating water with iron concentrations up to 10 parts per million.
  
  For the removal of iron concentrations higher than 10 ppm, the best filter is chlorination plus filtration. Chlorination ensures that all bacteria present in your water are killed. However, both systems require periodical backwashing to filter properly throughout their lifetime. Backwashing permanently removes any iron that has built up in the filter.