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CAUSES OF IRON IN GROUNDWATER



Have you ever wondered why when you fetched water from your well / borehole and the water appeared ‘clean’ or  ‘neat’ only for you to notice after few seconds that there are floats in the water that forms a reddish – brown film on the water?
You may be asking… but how come? I thought that this water is safe? Does it mean that this water is a waste and unusable?
Well, there may be no cause for alarm!
WHY???
That reddish – brown film you saw may be Iron. It usually increases turbidity in water.  It is likely that the groundwater has been contaminated with Iron (usually Fe2+).
But the presence of Iron in water, even in groundwater, is nothing to worry about; except in situations where the concentration to high.
Usually, Iron is present in waters we consume, even in bottled waters. Water from the public water systems may have Iron concentration of ≤0.3mg/liter.
Naturally, it is rare to see Iron occur in ions (as Fe2+ and Fe3+). It usually forms ores. It reacts with oxygen and sulfur compounds to form Sulfides, Hydroxides and Oxides.  It might interest you to know that Iron is the second most abundant metal on the earth’s crust accounting for about 5%.
Iron usually occurs in groundwater where the water flows through soils rich in organic matter, in areas where groundwater flow is slow and where the groundwater is poorly aerated.

POSSIBLE CAUSES OF IRON ‘INTRUSION’ IN GROUNDWATER
The possible causes include:
  • Leaching of wastes from Iron and steel plants (especially in heavily industrialized cities);
  • Pumping of wastes directly into the ground without proper treatment;
  • Leaching and oxidation of rock-bearing Iron ores.
  • Rusting of the Iron pipes used for riser pipes in borehole instead of PVC’s.
  • In public water supply, it may occur as a result of Iron pipes which are used in distribution instead of PVC’s.
Iron water increases the growth and the infestation of Iron bacteria in the water.
WHAT TO DO???
  • Get a water treatment plant that will remove the Iron to the lowest level.

It is advisable to regularly conduct a water test to ensure your water is always safe irrespective of how long the borehole has lasted.

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