Are you doing this yourself or do you have a water treatment dealer
involved?
I live in a small town of about 20,000 and there is only a very limited
amount of experience in this area. The nearest large city (Vancouver) is
about 6 hours away by car. At the moment, I'm working through a local sales
representative who, in turn, calls his water treatment dealer in the
Vancouver. The water treatment dealer won't discuss the problem directly
with me - only with the local sales representative. Apart from trying to
learn as much as I can by researching the problem on my own, I'm sticking
with the local sales representative because, at the moment, he is continuing
to work with me at minimal cost to try to solve the problem of why the
Manganese Greensand filter I purchased from him isn't removing the iron in
the water.
Many folks mistakenly call other problems
(mostly iron related) 'tannins' but since you have a tannin test result
(IIRC), you need to treat for them but... You need the other stuff
removed first or you won't be successful.
That's the general approach I'm trying to take right now - i.e. trying to
remove the iron and manganese. According to the tests I've had done, the
only contaminants in the water which exceed the drinking water guidelines
are iron (1.4 mg/L, guideline is 0.3)), manganese and coliform (not fecal
coliform, which was found to be below the measurable limit). The level of
manganese varies from 0.67 mg/L to 0.019 mg/L (results from two different
laboratories). The level of tannins/lignins in the water (measured at 0.2
mg/L and 0.3 mg/L)are below the drinking water guidelines of 0.4 mg/L. My
assumption is that the high coliform level is caused by nutrients in the
water from decayed vegetation (leaves etc from the surrounding bush) and
that the tannins-lignins are also a result of the decayed vegetation.
What I really don't understand is why the Manganese Greensand filter is not
removing the iron. I'm suspicious that, either the tubing inside the filter
was poorly installed (by the local dealer) so that the water coming in from
the well is somehow bypassing the filter bed or, alternatively, that the
coating on the Greensand itself was eaten away and rendered useless during
the months that the filter was used in water with a ph of 6.6.
I wouldn't think that the low level of tannins-lignins in the water would
prevent the Manganese Greensand filter from functioning properly, but then
I've had very little experience in this regard.
This weekend, the local dealer removed the filter and will install it for a
few days at his own home, in place of his own Manganese Greensand filter
which he says is working properly. Reportedly, his water also has been
tested and found to have iron and tannins in the water. I'm anxiously
waiting to see what happens.
I suggest a dealer familiar with tannin removal in your area. Tannin
treatment success varies from one well to another and one area to another.
Frankly, they're a bitch.
Finding someone with experience with tannins will be my next step if the
water continues to remain yellow after the iron has been removed.
Here's a google search for "tannin removal" (with the quotes):
http://tinyurl.com/h3vk
If you need other equipment, give me the opportunity to give you a
quote. I'm sure you'd appreciate my prices.
Thank you.