Hi, I hope someone can help with this question! My folks had a well drilled about 1 year ago. It is 480 feet deep. The problem is this- the water smells bad and leaves yellow stains in the stools, sinks, showers and dishwasher. They have been told several different things about what is causing it-suprise, they are all saying different things!! They have been told it is sulfer, then told they did not have sulfer, the problem was iron.. does iron taste/smell bad? Any ideas? They live in West Central Missouri, if that helps. Thanks for any information on this!!!

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), July 08, 2000

Answers

my folks have the same problem. their well is only 26' deep, they were also told it is iron, they have to use a water softener, we live 1/4 mile directly north of them and have over 125'well and have no problems at all is there well deep enough? would a deeper well help at all? I don't know, just wondering

-- Pat (pmikul@pcpros.net), July 08, 2000.

Iron ore in the water will stain you porcelin but it doesn't smell! We go to a show in Central Texas that has sulfur in the water, we have to haul water for our does to drink. It smells like rotten eggs and is indeed sulfur. We fixed our problems of iron ore in the water with a swimming pool filter. It works great and has little to no maintence. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 08, 2000.

Wendy, I am in a totally different part of the states, but here, it is natural minerals in the natural water that causes the stains, etc. It takes more cleaning. I had not lived on well water for 40 years. I lived in the city, where your todays drinking water from the tap, is the same recycled water your neighbor flushed from their toilet, yesterday. You have to really think on this. There is only X amount of water on this earth, it gets recycled, again and again. I recently went for a perm., and the hair dresser knew I was on well water because of the way the perm colored from the minerals my hair had. Not a bad thing, just different. I am still dealing with the yellowed clothes, Clorax seems to make it worse. But it is safe water.

-- Cool Clear (w@ter.com), July 08, 2000.

Yellow staining by well water can be caused by various mineral concentrations, sulpher and iron are two of these. Our well has a slight discoloration due to sulpher but no "rotten egg " smell. A gentleman who has lived in our area for over 50 years explained that low levels of sulpher, while not produceing "the smell" will cause a orange/red to black build up on cast well parts exposed to the sulpher water. Also, I have heard that there are filters available at well supply stores to remove sulpher from mildly contaminated water.

-- J. Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 10, 2000.

Call your county extension office, and get info on getting the well water tested. Take those results, and then inquire again with them what to do about it. The only way to be sure is to have the water tested, if it's bad, you need to know NOW.

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@excite.com), July 10, 2000.

Thanks for the answers! I have passed on this information to my folks, and will wait to see what they come up with. Thanks Again! Wendy

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), July 12, 2000.

In Malibu CA, near the ocean, there is a community well that supplies water for about 250 homes and condos. Because of oil in the ground, there is also sulfer in the water. The hot water heater makes it smell like rotton eggs. However, if a lot of water is used (through the heater) the smell goes away. I havent noticed yellow stains from the sulfer on the porcelin however it really effects silver jewlery. A new bright silver neckles and braclet were changed immediatly to a dull coppery, gold finish after taking one shower. The finish was restored with a little ajax

-- jack (Bailar3@juno.com), June 12, 2001.