How to Eliminate Iron and Manganese with Greensand and Chlorine

Hello,

I have a shallow, hand-dug well about 3.5 feet in diameter and around 50 ft. deep. I cannot drink the water due to high iron and manganese content. I want to shock the well, but also want to purchase a filtration system to rectify the issue. My water analysis results show a coliform count of 3 MPN/100mL, and 5.2 NTU turbidity.  

Thanks,

Joanne C.


Joanne,

Shock-chlorination is a good way to eliminate the coliform bacteria in your water, although it won't be of much help in eliminating your iron and manganese by itself. Installing a chlorine injector and metering pump, however, is a great idea if you plan to purchase an iron filter, as the chlorine will oxidize the iron and manganese in your water, making it easier to filter and prolonging the life of your iron filter and filter media, while keeping your pipes and treatment systems clean and bacteria-free.

Greensand 2510 Iron Filter

For your application we recommend a Greensand filter, perhaps a Greensand 2510 Iron Filter. The Fleck 2510 is a heavy-duty control valve with special brass injectors and rugged parts specially designed for a Greensand system, and the Greensand media itself is very effective at oxidizing and filtering iron and manganese.

For the chlorinator we recommend a Stenner liquid chlorine bleach pump - these systems are reliable, easy to install, and very easy to use, plus they can be easily adjusted to use just the right amount of chlorine - along with a WellMate contact tank.  The contact tank will ensure that the chlorine you are injecting is in contact with your water long enough to kill any waterborne bacteria that may be present.

If you'll be using a chlorination system, you'll also want a carbon filter at the end of your line to remove chlorine tastes and odors from your water. For that, we would recommend a backwashing carbon filter such as our Carbon Filter 7000-SXT. This filter will dechlorinate your water very effectively while offering high flow rates with very little pressure drop. Furthermore, it requires very little maintenance thanks to its automatic backwash cycle, which regularly regenerates the carbon media inside the filter to prolong the life and maximize the efficiency of both the filter and filter media.  

See the diagram below for a typical installation of the systems described above:

To browse these systems and more, visit our online store here. For more information about well disinfection, iron and manganese removal, chlorination systems, carbon backwash filters, and a host of other topics, view our FAQ and How-To pages. If you still have questions, feel free to e-mail support@cleanwaterstore.com, drop us a line on Facebook, or use our online contact form for quick, personalized assistance from one of our experienced technicians. 

We hope this information has been helpful. Thanks for the letter, Joanne!