Iron removal from water

[mike90045]

I seasonally get iron in my water, and need to remove it before the main filtering.  Research I've done shows that "greensand" style filters can trap the iron and then be backwashed with potassium permanganate and then returned to use. (much like a water softener and brine)

I have limited power and pressure (and water) for backwashing, and wondering if anyone has solved an issue like this ?

  I'm hoping a mild pressure and let it soak overnight might work for the backwash/recharge ?

[BruceM]

Interesting problem re: lower pressure for backwash.  I don't like potassium permagnate/greensand as I am concerned about the health effects of the residual. If you aren't worried about that, check with the vendor to see their minimum pressure requirements.  A boost pump just for backwash comes to mind.

My usually preferred solution for iron or manganese removal is Pyrolox media, but that is even worse in that nightly backwash at good pressure is required.

The other methods are all about oxidization of the clear water iron (you don't mention what type you have) so that it can be filtered out by sediment filter.  Methods to do this include a large pressure tank with air compressor (power hog), adding chlorox in a mixer tank, and other variations on that theme.

If I had iron at my off grid homestead (luckily I don't), I think I would aerate my 2000 gallon water storage tank, with a solar panel powered air bubbler or water sprayers in the tank with some improved, screened ventilation of the tank headspace.  The iron will precipitate out and fall to the bottom of the tank and can be flushed out when cleaning the tank.  The bottom fill pipe could be raised to help.  Your tank cleaning interval (mine is annual) might have to be increased.  A sediment filter could help catch spillover.

If the iron problem was bad, I might even go so far as to ping pong between two tanks, so that freshly pumped and not aerated water would never go to the house.  Then each tank could have plenty of time to aerate and settle.  The tanks would only have to have enough storage for a week of water consumption.

For all water problems, starting with a water test to quantify the problem level is the best way to start, I think.

[LowGear]

Nice read.  Thanks.