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Iron in Your Water?

"Iron water" readily stains plumbing fixtures, procelain and cooking utensils. When used in the laundry, it soon stains washables with reddish-brown discolorations. "Iron water" also leaves its telltale marks on walls and floors if used in doing home cleaning chores.

Iron imparts a disagreeable metallic taste to water. Even when water contains small amounts of iron a disagreeable, somewhat astringent quality is apparent. Naturally when iron is present in detectable amounts, it can ruin the flavor of tea, coffee and alcoholic beverages. Further, the combination of soluble iron and certain of the constituents in the beverages gives them an unappetizing, inky black appearance.

The EPA cautions that although iron in drinking water is safe to ingest, the iron sediments may contain trace impurities or harbor bacteria that can be harmful. Iron bacteria are naturally occurring organisms that can dissolve iron and some other minerals. These bacteria also form a brown slime that can build up in water pipes. Iron bacteria are most commonly problematic in wells, where water has not been chlorinated.

Iron's Role in Human Nutrition

Iron Filter		Iron-Chlorine-VOCs-Bacteria

Iron is necessary for your health. The most well-known role that iron plays in human nutrition is in the formation of the protein hemoglobin, which transports oxygen to all cells of the body. Iron is also used in cellular metabolism and is found in many of the body's enzymes. Low iron stores in the body can lead to iron deficiency, anemia and fatigue and can make you more susceptible to infections.

Some segments of the population are more at risk than others for iron deficiency. In particular, women, children, the elderly, and non-Caucasians are more likely to be iron-deficient than men, although anyone can be iron-deficient.

It is possible that drinking water that is high in iron may be beneficial, as it adds small amounts of iron to your diet. However, while drinking water that contains iron may help mediate iron deficiency symptoms, you should not depend solely on the iron in your drinking water as the only source of iron in your diet.

Health Effects of Iron Overload

It is possible for you to get too much iron through your diet. When left untreated consuming large amounts of iron can lead to a condition known as iron overload;  a severe disease that can damage the body's organs. Early symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, and joint pain, but if hemochromatosis is not treated, it can lead to heart disease, liver problems and diabetes. A blood test can identify iron overload.

Filtering

There are two basic types of water filter. Those that are installed inside a water ionizer and those that are installed outside a water ionizer or as a standalone filter. External filter systems can be configured in any number of stages with each stage removing a particular type or group of contaminants. Removing one type or group of contaminants is often considered a 1-Stage filter (i.e. removing either chlorine, fluoride-lead-arsenic, or nitrates). Filters can be combined to form any number of stages to form: 2-Stage, 3-Stage, and even 7-Stage (i.e. reverse osmosis) filter systems. How many stages you need to filter your water depends on the possible contaminants in your water. The most common water contaminants include:

By combining different filters into a 2-Stage or 3-Stage system, you can remove multiple contaminants to produce a higher quality drinking water than with just a 1-Stage filter. Reverse osmosis filtration systems are more expensive, however, they are recommended for removing the highest percent (up to 99%) of contaminants from your water.