My water has a metallic taste and/or I see rust stains in my plumbing fixtures and on my clothes. Why?
Just as sulfur can dissolve into your water and cause the problems we've described in the preceding section; iron deposits in rock dissolve in water and cause difficulties for the homeowner as well. A water treatment company or environmental laboratory can test your water for iron and you will want to research your options as mentioned above.

There are also other possible causes for rust stains in your fixtures and laundry. Older pipes or fixtures in your home, or an aging galvanized pressure tank may be deteriorating. If you see rust only on your laundry, there may be a problem with your washing machine. Replacement of any of these may fix your problem.

Living with high iron content in your water is possible. There are many products on the market that are designed to remove rust stains from your fixtures and laundry. Filters, which remove iron from drinking water, are available in most retail, hardware and home improvement stores.

You can reduce the incidence of rust stains and yellowing of whites by using warm, not hot water, avoiding chlorine bleach-it only makes the problem worse, by not allowing your wash to soak for long periods and by using laundry additives specifically designed to remove rust and yellowing.

Show All Answers

1. Where may I obtain a private water supply test kit, and how much do they cost?
2. What will the lab be testing my water to discover?
3. How do I take the test?
4. My water sample report came back "Unsatisfactory". What does that mean?
5. Is this serious?
6. What will we need to do to take care of this situation?
7. How soon after disinfection should I take a follow-up sample?
8. My sample came back "unsatisfactory" again. Now what do I do?
9. What types of problems can cause on-going contamination?
10. My water system and septic system have been examined and we could not find the source of contamination. What can I do to assure a safe water supply?
11. My water smells awful, almost like rotten eggs! Why is that?
12. My water has a metallic taste and/or I see rust stains in my plumbing fixtures and on my clothes. Why?
13. When my water sits in a glass, sediment forms in the bottom. Why?
14. My physician told me to have my water tested for fluoride and/or nitrates. Can you help me?