Brown Colouration of Borehole Water

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How can the brown (or reddish-brown) colouration of water from a newly constructed borehole be handled effectively?

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8 Answers

  2. For about 10 years we have been solving similar problems with the systems of complex water purification of hard water- SKV. 

    This is the installation patented by H2O Water treatment system LLC (www.h2o-72.ru).

    In addition to iron removal, the installation performs parallel disinfection of water from the well, removal of dissolved gases, reduction of manganese and ammonia, permanganate oxidation, normalization of organoleptic properties (color, turbidity, odor, taste).

    All this without the use of chlorine and other reagents!

    For the selection of the correct installation model, please send a water analysis to e-mail: h2o-72@ya.ru

  3. you can take the sample to the laboratory for testing to know chemical component or physical property of it, then we can discuss to see how to reduce it and see which could be the possible cause of reddish brown colouration maybe the casings used or its just the rocks rich in iron content.

  4. Take a sample to the laboratory and have it analyzed for suspended solids and minerals.  If the suspended solids are high (anything over 5 mg/l), you can probably treat it by filtration.  However if the iron is more than about 1 mg/l you may have to coagulate the water to remove the iron.  Red-brown iron in the water is in the Ferric Iron form and as such it will plug up a filter very quickly but it can be removed, it's just a pain in the neck.

  6.  

    Brown running water does mean your water "is" contaminated. But don't press the panic button.

    i.  Might be due to a rusty pipe line. Please check with a plumber if incase you have metal pipes concealed as this might lead to cracks and leakage, consequently.

    ii. Too much iron make the water look brown or reddish brown. Though these are contaminants, they don't harm our health as these minerals are essential.

    Potential solution:

    Chlorinate and filter (RO) the water. Iron is oxidized by Chlorine. And RO is not the healthiest drinking water, as it is apparent.

    Although present in drinking water , iron is seldom found at concentrations greater than 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or 10 parts per million. However, as little as 0.3 mg/l can cause water to turn a reddish brown colour.

    Hope this helps.

  7. Hi Temple, most likely either sediment/fines gaining access, new constructions or failing borehole construction/materials (screens etc), if new then clarity should improve steadily within a few days otherwise internals may need to be replaced if possible

    secondly could be presence of iron or manganese that can react and create discolouration in the water, best to get water tested so correct treatment can be applied, simple oxidation for the latter is typically applied

    Good luck

    Regards

  8. The construction of a borehole usually creates a lot of sediment, due to pulverised rock (assuming that the borehole penetrates into rock and is not terminated in unconsolidated deposits). If the rock is mainly sandstone and the borehole is newly constructed, this is the most likely source of the reddish-brown colouration. The remedy is to pump the borehole water to waste until it runs clear, which could take several days but maybe only a few hours. This will remove the sediment that has been forced into the rock fissures and pore spaces by the construction process. However, if this has already been done and the discolouration persists, it could signal a source of local contamination of the groundwater (e.g. from a nearby quarry) or that the source water has a high iron content. High iron content may be removed by simple aeration, which causes precipitation of the iron as a red sediment, but often the addition of a backwashing filter is needed to produce a clean water low in suspended solids.