Iron & Manganese removal

The presence of iron is probably one of the most common contaminants in private water supplies. The maximum levels for iron and manganese in potable water (drinking water) are 0.2 milligrams per litre (mg/l) and 0.05 mg/l, respectively. High levels of iron and manganese can result in discoloured water and staining of sanitary ware and clothing. Iron stains a browny, orange colour; manganese leaves black particles on fixtures and pipe work and sometimes appears oily on the surface of the water. 

In order to specify treatment the following things would need to be considered:

• Amount of iron and manganese in relation to each other: depending on the ratio of iron to manganese we may specify a multi-media treatment unit.

• Other chemical and mineral parameters in the water: Sometimes the chemical or mineral composition of the water won’t allow the iron removal system to work effectively so one or more treatment methods may be required in addition to the iron removal unit. In some circumstances we would install an air contact assembly unit prior to an iron and manganese removal unit as this allows the iron to drop out more easily.

As a minimum we would require the following parameters to specify correctly:

• Iron
• Manganese
• pH
• Hardness
• Sodium

The first step is to have the water tested, from the results we will be able to advise and design a suitable treatment system.