Iron, manganese?

[flyfisher42]

How would you remove iron or manganese fastest from groundwater?

any advice would be appreciated on either,

 

[GarySCWSVI]

There are a number of ways to do that.

1. With a Birm Filter. Birm is a filter media that can remove both but there must be dissolved oxygen in the water at a level of at least 15% of the total Fe and Mn. No chemicals are used to regenerate it. It is just backwashed to clean out the accumulated Fe & Mn.

2. With a Manganese Greensand Filter. MG is a filter media that can remove both. It is a regenerable media that is regenerated with Potassium Permanganate.

3. With a Pyrolox Filter. Pyrolox is a filter media that works similarly to Birm.

4. Aeration/Retention/Filtration. This is a process where the water is aerated causing the Fe and Mn to precipitate. The water is held in a Retention Tank to allow the Fe and Mn to precipitate and settle. The Retention Tank is typically followed by a filter media which could be Birm or Pyrolox or Sand or a Multimedia (sand/anthracite/garnet media layered in a filter tank) Filter.

5. Oxidation using chlorine, peroxide, ozone, etc./Retention/Filtration. Like #4 but more efficient.

6. Ion Exchange (Water Softener) resin. That resin will also remove all dissolved Fe and Mn but not precipitated Fe and Mn.




Gary Schreiber, CWS VI
The Purolite Co.

 

[bimr]

The fastest way is with an ion exchange unit. Is that really what you want to know?

If you want to know the most economical method, you need to provide a complete water analysis as well as flow rate and the expected use for the water.

 

[semo]

Manganese Greensand is also extremely quick; but, as Bimr stated, you need a complete water analysis.

Some methods albeit quick will not work well by themselves with high iron/manganese contents.

 

[sbush]

The fastest way is to introduce chlorine ahead of a pressure sand filter. The filter will begin to remove iron immediately. Once the sand has become naturally conditioned with manganese dioxide coating, it will remove manganese to below 0.05 mg/L. The natural coating process can be accelerated by bathing the sand in a 100 mg/L solution of potassium permanganate for 24-hours and rinsing out. Then filter will remove manganese within 48-hours (usually much less). With this method, the chlorine residual leaving the filter needs to be greater than 1.0 mg/L although I have had good success with less.

I am not aware of any states that do not approve this method for drinking water, but you should check with your local authority.

I wouldn't recommend any of the methods above for various reasons, but definitely stay away for ion exchange for this application.

S. Bush

http://www.water-eg.com

 

[ivanhoe374]

All of the above would work depending on the pH, DO, ferrous or ferric iron?

air stripping towers are also an easy way(#4 from GarySCWSVI ). What flow rate are we talking?