Case Water Systems • Well Water Treatment • Western NC
Iron Filters and Sulfur Smell Treatment for Well Water
Orange stains in the toilet, black specks in the sink, or water that smells like rotten eggs. We test your well water, find out whether it is iron, manganese, sulfur or bacteria, and put in a system sized to what the test says. Black staining or black flecks often point to manganese; see manganese water treatment.
Not sure what you have?
Start with a water test. Request service or call and we will set it up.
Quick answer
Iron filter and sulfur treatment
Orange stains, black specks or a rotten-egg smell need a water test first. Case Water Systems tests your well water to find whether the cause is iron, manganese, sulfur or bacteria, then installs iron and sulfur treatment sized to the results for Western NC wells.
“We’ve had ongoing issues with our well filtration. The local plumbing company had replaced the filter system twice and we still didn’t have adequate filtration. Case put in a new system as well as a pressure booster and completed a few minor repairs, all in a timely and professional manner. Highly recommend!”
Start with what you’re seeing and smelling
Orange stains, a rotten-egg smell, or both usually point to iron, manganese or hydrogen sulfide in the well. Two wells on the same road can be completely different, so we test first and then size the system to your results, not to a neighbor’s setup. See water testing and our broader water treatment page.
What we install
Depending on the test, that can be an iron filter, sulfur treatment, a water softener, a sediment filter, a pH neutralizer for acidic water, or a combination. If you are deciding between a softener and an iron filter, see softener vs. iron filter. Manganese is covered on manganese water treatment.
When the smell is only at the hot water, the water heater may be the culprit rather than the well. We will help you sort that out before anyone buys equipment. A quick check before you call: is the smell at every tap or only hot, are the stains new, and has anything changed after a rain or a repair?
Iron bacteria, brown water after rain, and springs
Slimy rust-colored buildup can be iron bacteria. Shock chlorination can clear it for a while, but a recurring problem usually needs treatment and a look at the wellhead. See buried wellheads if the cap is low or leaking. Brown water after a hard rain is often sediment or a spring box letting in runoff; see spring water systems and spring box repair.
Our mountains sit on old crystalline rock, and private wells pick up dissolved iron, manganese and, in some spots, hydrogen sulfide from that rock. That is why we test every well instead of guessing.
Most owners want the stains and smell gone without babysitting a piece of equipment, so we talk through upkeep, drain and power needs, and whether you will actually keep the system running. We also do a diagnostic look at the well when the water problem may be tied to how the well is performing. For Hendersonville-area iron and sulfur work, see iron and sulfur treatment in Hendersonville. We install these systems across our service area.
Questions people ask us
How do you fix a sulfur smell in well water?
First find where the smell comes from. If it’s only in the hot water, the water heater is often the cause and the fix is there. If it’s in hot and cold, the gas is coming from the well, and the usual fix is a filter that oxidizes the hydrogen sulfide and catches it, sometimes with an injection system ahead of it for strong odor. If iron or sulfur bacteria are involved, the well may need shock chlorination too.
Do I need an iron filter or a water softener?
A softener is built to take out hardness and can handle small amounts of dissolved iron. Once iron gets higher, or if there’s manganese or sulfur with it, a dedicated iron filter usually does a better job and protects the softener if you still want one. Our water softener vs. iron filter guide goes into it.
What is iron bacteria in well water?
Iron bacteria are harmless microbes that live on iron in the water. They leave a slimy orange or brown film in toilet tanks and can smell swampy. They foul filters fast, so we often recommend treating the well itself along with the filter.
Will an iron filter take out the orange stains?
Yes, if it’s sized for the amount of iron in your water. Existing stains on fixtures need to be cleaned off, but once the filter is working new stains should stop.
Do you need to test the water first?
Yes. We don’t size iron or sulfur equipment without a water test. The amounts of iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide, plus pH and hardness, decide what system will work.
Do iron filters need maintenance?
Every system needs some attention. Backwashing filters clean themselves on a schedule, but media wears out over time and injection systems need their supply topped up. We go over the upkeep before you pick a system.
Do you treat iron and sulfur near me?
We test first, then size iron and sulfur treatment for wells across Western North Carolina, including Asheville, Candler, Weaverville, Leicester, Black Mountain, Fairview, Hendersonville, Fletcher, Waynesville, Canton, Brevard, Sylva, Franklin, Marshall and Mars Hill. Call us.
Why is my well water brown after it rains?
Sudden brown or cloudy water after storms usually means sediment or surface water is reaching the well, spring or storage tank. Because surface water can carry bacteria, test the water and have the wellhead or spring box checked rather than only adding a filter.
Stains or rotten egg smell in your well water?
Request a water test and tell us what you are seeing. We will call you back and set it up.
Request Service or call (828) 222-4160, 24/7.