A Puzzle - Iron and Yellow Colour in the Water

[Gary Slusser]

"Phil J" wrote

That was me, but what I was looking for was to see if any oxidizer will work. That would say iron etc. is the cause of the discolored water rather than tannins.

Well mounted pellet droppers can cause problems in the well with the pump, casing, screen if any and casing etc.. So IMO, they should be used only when all other means of treatment in the building wouldn't.

Cleaning a well chemically and/or mechanically and then sanitizing it and the plumbing throughout the building and then treating the water after it enters the building is the best way to handle these types of problems without causing other problems.

Since you seem to be suggesting a direction away from water treament dealers.... In my experience the guvmint guys don't know equipment, or at least the latest improvements and application of it and they dont sell, service and repair it or have parts for it. So to get them involved when there's an industry specializing in water treatment equipment and its application does little more than add an entity that can not be sued or otherwise held responsible if their suggestions fail; regardless of the cost. And in many instances the advice is flawed due to suggesting equipment the industry is trying to get away from, such as manganese greensand filters regenerated with potassium permanganate and chlorine in any of it's 2 or 3 ways of being used in a residential application.

What does that gain the home owner really? Seriously, I'd like to hear the rational behind the suggestion.

Now that I can support.

Gary Quality Water Associates

[Peter Martin]

Sorry for the delay in replying. It took me a while to obtain a clear gallon jug.

This morning I followed the above instructions and left the jug for three hours. There was no change in colour and no sediment appeared at the bottom of the jug. I'm going to leave it for 24 hours to see if there is any change.

The last time I super chlorinated the well, in May about 2 months ago, I left it for 12 hours and then drained it until the pump turned off. Because there was still a chlorine smell, I drained it again two more times and then allowed it to refill completely. When we started using the water again, it turned clear for about two days and then went pale yellow again. I'm not certain exactly what happened to cause this.

The last time was in May 2003.

The color has been present since we arrived last November, 2002.

[Gary Coffman]

The major reason to do as Phil suggests is to get independent advice from someone who doesn't have a vested economic interest in selling you particular kinds of equipment or services. The PHIs also generally have a good local perspective on who *is* a reliable dealer or service person in their area.

A secondary reason is since you're paying these public health guys' salaries through your taxes anyway, you might as well get some benefit from it.

Gary

[mark Ransley]

My crapper was makin me sick to, pumpin to my well , I jus got rid of the kids and no more crap now I crap in my garden , Free fertilizer ... IM ARRAA Master of all shit

[mark Ransley]

tannin - smannon , chlorene shmorene, Ph BS Crap in it , nat bacteria , does wonders..What did the vikings do,,, crap in it ,,,I live it, eat it, bathe in it ,soak in it so I dont hear it from my weife and kiddies , and IM fine except for a few cancers, i guess

[Gary Slusser]

The fact is that the Phils amongst us have vested economic interests in their agency or department's continuation.

And each time we advise or suggest something to someone we are all 'selling' something if only an idea. Here Phil is selling Peter away from the 'pros' that he will eventually have to return to for the equipment to solve his problem. Also, the vast majority of 'sales' are actually done by honest, above board and sincere folks plus.... someone is *buying* the product and the knowledge of the salesperson. Don't they have a responsibility in their selections?

Gary Quality Water Associates

[Gary Slusser]

"Peter Martin" wrote

Ok, that goes with tannin or collidal iron. You really need to clean and sanitize the well. See my reply to your other reply.

Gary Quality Water Associates

[Gary Coffman]

Which means that they have a strong incentive to do the best job they can for the public, and give the best available advice to those who ask for help. They have no profit motive which would tend to lead them to try to sell the consumer things he doesn't need, or which show the best profit margin for the dealer.

You, and other dealers, on the other hand, have a large pecuniary interest in maximizing your profits. Thus I suppose it isn't strange that you'd have such strong objections to consumers consulting an independent expert with no such pecuniary interests.

Gary

[Phil J]

I suspect that the crud at the bottom of your well and on the sides is causing your coloured water. But after all this, I'm wondering if it wouldn't just be better, and cheaper in the long run, to drill a new well. Not a dug well with concrete rings, but a proper drilled well with 8-inch steel casing. Drilled wells are inherently safer from contamination by surface runoff. Shallow wells with the concrete rings are an ongoing pain because stuff is always getting into them, and they can be difficult to clean. Almost impossible, in your case.

See if any of the neighbours have drilled wells and what their water quality is. You may just be throwing good money after bad by trying to fix your shallow well. Again, the local health inspectors may be able to give you valuable local information on local wells and the groundwater quality.

Good luck.

Phil J.

[Gary Slusser]

Oh really.

Phil said he hadn't heard of iron causing yellow water after the OP said he had an iron bleedthru of his equipment and I suggested the cause of the yellow water may be iron. I did a search at google and found a number of sites saying some people mistakenly believe tannins are the problem when they have yellow water which also relates to iron. And I didn't see anyone saying or implying it couldn't be iron.

And how is it that you know or believe that is true about me? If you knew more about me you'd know exactly the opposite is true. But do a google Groups search for me and (+) my company name and see if you still think you're right. So far I've donated 6+ years of helping the public understand water quality problems and their solutions and yes, the last year I've made some sales. BTW, they are all based on the lowest prices the person can find anywhere for the same products.

Gary Quality Water Associates

[Gary Slusser]

"Phil J" wrote

I agree somewhat with a new well when compared to the one there now. But there shouldn't be an assumption that with a new well there would be no need for water treatment equipment. You (generally) may not need some of what you have, or it might be too small and you'd need larger or different equipment.

Gary Quality Water Associates