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While almost people become their drinking water from public water supplies, more 13 million households in the United States rely on private wells for their drinking water. Well water tin absorb many different compounds from the surrounding soil — and when levels of compounds like sulfur get as well high, y'all'll demand to filter it. If you're dealing with high levels of sulfur in your drinking supply, learn how to remove sulfur from well water.

What Is Sulfur and How Does It Arrive Well Water?

Sulfur is a naturally occurring chemical compound. At that place are ii sources of sulfur in well water – sulfates and hydrogen sulfide gas.

Sulfates are a type of salt that contains sulfur. They may be in the soil and rocks surrounding your well. As groundwater and rainwater seep through the soil and rocks, they can carry sulfates into your well h2o.
Hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) can happen naturally when plants or other organic material decays. It can likewise be related to pollution in the water. And when sulfur bacteria feed on sulfates in well water, they can create H2S. You lot'll demand to remove the H2S from your h2o and vent the gas from depression-lying spaces around your well.

Is Sulfur Harmful?

It depends on the level of sulfates or hydrogen sulfide in the water. In minor amounts, these things don't cause a problem.

Too much sulfate can cause diarrhea and dehydration. It can too have a bitter taste, clog your pipes with slime and stain your laundry.

Too much H2S causes a rotten egg aroma in well water. In big amounts, information technology tin can be poisonous and lead to nausea and illness — but this is more probable to happen from animate the gas than from drinking h2o. H2S can likewise corrode pipes and stain your utensils.

How Can I Tell If My Well H2o Has Sulfur?

At that place are a few ways to tell if you have a sulfur trouble:

Aroma or taste — Sulfur has a distinctive smell similar to rotten eggs, and sulfates can requite water a biting taste. If your well water has sulfur in it, you may detect an unpleasant smell or odd taste.
Slime or stains — Sulfur leaner tin leave black stains or a white, grayness, black or cherry-brownish slime on silverware or plumbing.
Water tests — Go your well water tested every year, even if yous don't discover signs of sulfur or other problems. You can find several different water testing kits online or in stores. But to ensure accurate results, find a state-certified laboratory to do the tests. And bank check with your local wellness department beginning, in case they provide these tests for gratuitous.

How Can I Remove Sulfur From My Well Water?

There are many options for removing sulfur from your well h2o. The best option for y'all volition depend on the source of the sulfur, how serious the problem is and how much y'all're able to spend. Options include:

Activated carbon filtration — Activated carbon filters utilise pocket-sized pieces of porous carbon (like charcoal) to attract chemicals in water and filter them out. You can install an activated carbon filtration system equally a depression-cost and low maintenance solution to remove a low concentration of sulfur — but it won't handle high concentrations of sulfur.
Aeration treatment — This is a depression-cost and safety solution that adds air to the water. This procedure may reduce the hydrogen sulfide to adequate levels, merely may not get rid of it completely. And it won't kill sulfur bacteria.
Chlorine bleach — You can inject chlorine bleach into your water before filtration. This is a low-cost solution that can effectively remove medium-to-loftier levels of hydrogen sulfide from your water. Simply this method isn't fast-acting, and it also adds sodium to the water and can leave toxic residual.
Potassium permanganate — You can employ potassium permanganate solution in combination with a special type of filter to remove sulfur particles. This process gets rid of several odors, merely it can exist toxic and may get out your water looking pink.
Hydrogen peroxide — This is a fast and safe solution that leaves no chemical balance and no taste in the h2o. But an annual supply of peroxide may be expensive, so it's not as common in private abode h2o systems.
Ozone gas — This is besides a fast and safe solution that leaves no chemic remainder. Merely ozone systems are expensive, and they add gases to the water that you then need to vent.

If you own a private well, or are thinking of putting i in, check in with your local wellness department about maintenance procedures to make sure your water is safe for everyday employ. Many health departments offer free h2o testing to bank check the levels of sulfur and other compounds — and they tin can provide more than detailed advice about the all-time filtration methods.

Resource Links

"Hydrogen Sulfide and Sulfur Bacteria in Well Water" via Minnesota Department of Wellness
"Hydrogen Sulfide and Sulfate in Private Drinking H2o Wells" via University of Massachusetts Amherst
"Private Drinking Water Wells" via U.Southward. Environmental Protection Agency