Well water suddenly very red

[Laura Meyers]

I've used this well for almost 30 years with some iron it but was manageable, recently the water has turned very red , the simple filter housing used to stay clear but is blood red, the water smells like metal. A neighbor recently drilled a new well so I thought that had the auguafur stirred up but my water still unusable after 3 months.

Have been advised to add softener but I know something has changed with the well and I'd rather fix the problem than mask it.

Recently divorced and am new to dealing with the well so bear that in mind when giving suggestions. Thanks

 

[Taylorjm]

A softener will only handle a very small amount of iron. If you can see the water is orange, then there's probably too much for a softener. Although, if you can filter out the iron, then that should reduce the amount. I don't know what kind of filter you have that would still allow the water to come out orange. If it's a very dark orange/red, then it could have manganese in it as well as iron. In that case, your going to need a dedicated iron filter but I would definitely get a water test done by a lab to see what you are dealing with.