I have just purchased my second house. Both have had water hardness & iron problems, but this latest house has them to a much higher degree.
The Facts: Drilled well Electric hot water tank Hardness as CaCO3: 205.4 mg/L Calcium: 63.7 mg/L Sodium: 42.3 mg/L Iron: 13.4 mg/L Magnesium: 11.3 mg/L Manganese: 0.313 mg/L
The system was charged prior to any water treatment, so my toilet tank, pipes, and presumably my hot water tank has heavy iron staining. I have put a water softener in place and have set it to regenerate every night, and did one manual regeneration with some "Super Iron Out" added to the brine. This, I assume, only helps remove any iron buildup in my softener, not in my hot water tank where I anticipated it is most needed. I have ceased any iron-buildup procedures until the core iron problem has been solved. It has been a week since the softener was put in, and the aesthetic quality of the water has improved a tiny bit, but heavy staining still occurs, and there is an objectionable taste.
My home builder is under specific legal obligation to get the water to meet provincial and municipal standards, which are:
Hardness as CaCO3: none Calcium: none Sodium: 200 mg/L Iron: 0.3 mg/L Magnesium: none Manganese: 0.05 mg/L
What we *don't* know is what the softened water tests at, but my tiny bit of research shows me that a typical water softener can remove anywhere from 0.5 mg/L to 2 mg/L of iron (reducing its water softening capacity), so I anticipate that I am still way over the guideline. I do not know what effect the water softener has on manganese, if any.
I wish to protect myself against bad counsel from my builder and "ask the experts" here on this group what the ideal solution is. Obviously, I am above standards on my Iron and Manganese, so these are my primary concerns. What sort of solution should I be lobbying my builder for?
Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.