Brownish or Dirty Well Water
The Causes of Brownish or
Dirty Well Water
Elizabeth Ward
The Virginia Master Well
Owner Network (VAMWON) is an organization of trained volunteers
dedicated to promoting the proper construction, maintenance, and management of
private water systems (wells, springs, and cisterns) in Virginia.
The
Cooperative Extension Services in Virginia manages the program and have
numerous publications and fact sheets that can help homeowners make educated
decisions about their drinking water. The volunteers can help homeowners
interpret their test results and make educated decisions about what treatment
might be appropriate and desirable or appropriate solutions to problems.
VAMWON
Notes from the Field are a series of stories of the questions and sometimes the
solutions I’ve encountered as a VAMWON volunteer.
The
VAMWON volunteer or Agent can help you identify problems with the water system
and provide information on suggested treatments options and other
solutions. You can find your VAMWON volunteer
neighbor through this link by entering your county in the search box.
I received the following in
an e-mail “A week ago Monday we had
slightly brown water. I called the landlord who came by to say he was having a
plumber look at the well situation. He stated with all the rain we have beenhaving it has had an effect on the well. Yesterday morning I noticed brown
water again. I called the landlord who had the plumber call who parroted that
all the rain had caused cloudy water.”
.
Before you call a
plumber, well driller, or water treatment company you should test your water so
that the problem can be properly diagnosed. It is cheaper to test your water
than call a plumber and you need to understand what the real problem is to
correct it.
First, verify that both the
hot water and cold water are both discolored. If the hot water only is
discolored then the problem might be with rust the hot water heater.
After determining that the
brown water is coming from the cold water tap also, it is still possible that
there is rust in the plumbing fixtures or the piping, but it would typically
manifest in only one sink or tub and not uniformly throughout the house (unless
the rust is in the main water pipe from the well).
However, it is to be noted
that when a water supply has been shut off for a period of time any rust in the
systems is likely to be dislodged when the water supply is turned back on. This
is true for wells and public supply water systems.
After rust in the household
fixtures there are three likely causes for well water to be brown or brownish,
surface infiltration, well collapsing or water level dropping or iron (and/or
manganese) in the water.
Earthquakes can also cause
a change in water, either by loosening fine grains of silt and soil or lowering
the water level.
According the the US
Geological Survey there is no rhyme or reason to which wells will be impacted
by an earthquake, but time might restore your well.
A complete water test to
determine the source and extent of your problem and possible treatments or
solutions should include tests for manganese concentration, iron concentration,
iron bacteria, pH, hardness, dissolved solids as well as the tests for total
coliform, fecal coliform and e-coli bacteria.
Surface infiltration of
water is due to impaired pump and casing system.
In this instance this would
seem to be what the landlord was insinuating with the comment about all the
rain. A properly functioning well with a sanitary cap should not be impacted by rain.
The pump system consists of
the well cap, well, and grouting.
Surface flooding,
excessive rain or snow melt could flow down the casing area if the grouting is
damaged or the well cap not sealed properly. This of course would also allow
bacteria from the surface to enter the well.
Testing the well for
bacteria would determine if the water were safe to drink and would indicate if
there was surface infiltration.
A bacteria test checks for
the presence of total coliform bacteria and fecal coliform bacteria. These
bacteria are not normally present in deeper groundwater sources.
They are associated with
warm-blooded animals, so they are normally found in surface water and in
shallow groundwater (less than 20-40 feet deep).
Most bacteria (with the
exception of fecal and e-coli) are not harmful to humans, but are used as
indicators of the safety of the water.
An inspection of the well
and pump system might visually locate any obvious flaws but the presence of
coliform surface bacteria would certainly identify where to begin
looking.
The second likely source of
brown water is from the well itself. It is typical in Virginia not to have well
casing beyond 40-50 feet deep. The Balls Bluff Siltstone and red clay common to
this area does not typically need a casing.
The most common modern well
installation is to have a pump that installed in the well and looks a little
like an outboard motor on a stick.
Changes in water level or
supply could result in the pump pulling up a bit of mud or the pump could have
wracked a bit and is hitting the side of the well hole.
So that water that suddenly
turns brown may indicate a problem with the well structure or water
level.
The third likely
source of brown water is iron (and/or manganese) in the water. As rain falls or
snow melts on the land surface, and water seeps through iron-bearing soil and
rock, iron can be dissolved into the water.
In some cases, iron can
also result from corrosion of iron or steel well casing or water pipes. Iron
can occur in water in a number of different forms.
Iron is harmless, but can
affect taste and use of water. An appropriate response to the presence of iron
is to install the right treatment system.
The type of iron present is
important when considering water treatment.
- Water that comes out of
the faucet clear, but turns red or brown after standing is “ferrous” iron,
commonly referred to as “clear-water” iron.
- Water which is rust
colored, red or yellow when first drawn is “ferric” iron, often referred to as
“red-water” iron.
- Iron can form
compounds with naturally occurring acids, and exist as “organic” iron. Organic
iron is usually yellow or brown, but may be colorless. A combination of acid
and iron, or organic iron, can be found in shallow wells and surface water.
Although this kind of iron can be colorless, it is usually yellow or brown.
- Finally, when iron exists
along with certain kinds of bacteria you may get bacterial iron that leaves a
reddish brown or yellow slime that can clog plumbing and cause an offensive
odor. You may notice this slime or sludge in your toilet tank when you remove
the lid.
Before you attempt to solve
any water problem that appears to be iron-related, it is important to have your
water tested.
A complete water test to
determine the extent of your iron problem and possible treatment solutions
should include tests for iron concentration, iron bacteria, pH, dissolved
solids, hardness as well as the tests for total coliform, fecal coliform and
e-coli bacteria.
The test results properly
interpreted will allow you to address the underlying problem and spend your
money to correct the right problem.
Elizabeth was awarded an MBA
from the University of Pittsburgh and an MS ChE from Polytechnic Institute of
NYU, worked as a chemical engineer for both the US EPA in DC, and at DuPont
before working in finance and then becoming consultant with Washington Advisors
and is the author of "The Lenders Guide to Developing an Environmental Risk
Management Program." Elizabeth retired from Washington Advisors and began
her volunteer career and is currently the Treasurer of the Prince William Soil
and Water Conservation District.
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Multi-Media Filter, Highly-Activated Carbon Filter,
Zeolite-Process Water Softener With Brine Tank,
Fiberglass Ballast-Type Pressure Tank
(fully automatic backwash & regeneration)
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PURICARE
Water
Treatment
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...
CLICK HERE . . . to view company profile . . .
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