Iron and manganese removal from water
Industrial water treatment technologies
Iron and manganese removal from water
We remove iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide for plants, water utilities, residential and commercial sites. We design the scheme around your water analysis, the capacity you need and your treated water requirements.
- Fe ≤ 0.2 mg/L at an operating site
- From 20 to 420 m³/h at completed sites
- In-house laboratorywater analysis and testing
- 1,760+ completed projectsZIKO experience since 1993
- Up to 5-year warrantyon solutions and equipment, under the contract terms
- Service across Ukrainetechnical support and field service crews
What affects water quality
Iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide are the most common contaminants in groundwater
They leave sediment and deposits in pipes and equipment, spoil the product and drive up repair costs. Dissolved iron is clear, so the problem is judged by analysis, not by eye.
Iron
Can be dissolved, colloidal or insoluble. Leaves rust-colored deposits on equipment, stains on the product and sediment in pipes.
Manganese
Even at low concentrations it causes black and dark brown stains. It oxidizes less readily than iron, so a filter that handles iron well can still let manganese through.
Hydrogen sulfide
Smells of rotten eggs and often comes with iron. Not regulated in Ukraine; the EU limit is 0.03 mg/L. The same oxidation scheme removes it.
Suspended solids after oxidation
Oxidized iron is a suspension that has to be captured. Without filtration, the sediment simply travels on through the network.
Iron removal or another technology
| What needs removing | Iron removal | Combined treatment | Softening | Reverse osmosis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irondissolved and oxidized | removes | removes | no: fouls the resin | no: inlet ≤ 0.05 mg/L |
| Manganesedark stains, sediment | removes | removes | no | no: inlet ≤ 0.05 mg/L |
| Hydrogen sulfiderotten egg smell | catalytic media | depends on the scheme | no | no |
| Hardnessscale | no | removes | removes | removes |
| What goes to draincontinuous flow or batch discharge | backwash water with sludge | spent salt regeneration brine | spent salt regeneration brine | concentrate, 15–30% of feed water |
Combined treatment removes more than a single stage, but it regenerates with salt. So the choice between them also depends on the wastewater, not just on water quality — see the poultry processing example below. The final decision rests on the water analysis.
Industries where iron removal is part of the scheme
- Agriculture: poultry and livestock
- Car washes and AdBlue production
- Breweries
- Energy, CHP plants, industrial boiler houses
- Pharmaceutical and medical production
- Hotels, spas, restaurants, shopping malls
- Food processing
- Chemicals, cosmetics, household chemicals
- Other industrial production
- Crop farming, greenhouses, irrigation
- Water and soft drink bottling
- Distilleries and spirits production
- Textile and paper production
- Water utilities and municipalities
- Educational institutions
- Housing, condominiums, residential complexes
How it works
How iron and manganese removal systems work
First we convert dissolved iron and manganese into an insoluble form, then we capture the suspended solids in the media bed. We choose the oxidation method and the media based on the analysis — we do not use one-size-fits-all schemes.
The make-up and ratio of the layers are matched to the water analysis — this is part of ZIKO’s engineering method.
Column operating cycle
Step 01 of 04
Oxidation
Dissolved iron turns into an insoluble form. The oxidation method depends on the water composition.
ZIKO does not use schemes with compressors, ejectors and aeration towers. We select the technology and media for the actual water composition.
Step 02 of 04
Filtration
The media bed captures the suspended solids.
Step 03 of 04
Backwash
A reverse flow flushes the sediment to drain — triggered by the controller.
Step 04 of 04
Back in service
The column returns to the cycle; with two columns and an alternator, supply never stops.
Choosing the technology
Same iron concentration — different engineering solutions
With the same iron and manganese levels, water from different sources may need different technologies. There is no universal threshold of “one technology up to this concentration, another above it”.
Form of iron
Dissolved or already oxidized — this decides how much of the work falls on oxidation and how much on filtration.
Manganese
Needs different process conditions than iron. The scheme is designed for both elements at once, otherwise manganese gets through.
Hydrogen sulfide
Causes odor and escapes from the sample quickly — so how and when the sample was taken matters.
pH
Affects how quickly and completely iron and manganese oxidize.
Organics and oxidizability
Organic compounds keep iron in solution and hinder oxidation.
What the wastewater can contain
Mineralization and acceptance conditions determine what you can use to regenerate the media.
Water source
A well, the municipal mains or a surface source, plus seasonal changes in composition.
Capacity and operating mode
Demand in m³/h and m³/day, peak consumption, reserve and continuity of supply.
The water comes out unstable, and the equipment wears out and needs rework. That is why we check difficult cases in our own lab: we test the media on a sample of your water before you buy any equipment.
Otherwise iron will foul the softener resin and the membranes. Reverse osmosis has a strict limit — no more than 0.05 mg/L of iron at the inlet.
Completed projects
Iron removal already at work
From a slaughterhouse to a city water utility: systems of 20–420 m³/h for wells, municipal mains and surface sources. Iron at the inlet — up to 24 mg/L.
Iron removal — 420 m³/h
Water for the city’s central supply: drinking and household needs.
Iron removal · 80 m³/h
equipment washing, poultry chilling
Media regeneration
Iron removal for a slaughterhouse — 80 m³/h
Salt regeneration was rejected at the design stage: the effluent would not have met discharge limits. Water regeneration costs more upfront but less to run.
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Modular containerized plant — 35 m³/h
- Well water: iron removal, disinfection and reverse osmosis
- Equipment housed in a container module
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Iron removal for mains water — 20 m³/h
- Water from the municipal mains for the hospital’s drinking and household needs
-
Iron removal and disinfection — 50 m³/h
- Iron: 2.2 → below 0.2 mg/L
- Self-cleaning filters → sodium hypochlorite → catalytic iron removal
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Complete water treatment — 60 m³/h
- Iron removal, disinfection and nanofiltration
- Drinking and household water for the resort
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Water utility in the Lviv region
- Alternator: the columns run in turn, so supply never stops for backwash
- Catalytic media based on manganese ore: iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide
- Self-cleaning mechanical filter before iron removal, hypochlorite dosing after
Iron above the limit in your analysis?Send us the lab report and the capacity you need — a ZIKO engineer will select an iron removal scheme and tell you where to discharge the backwash water.
Get an engineering estimateOperation
Automation does most of the work
What the system does on its own
- Backwash
- on schedule or by volumetriggered by the controller
- Columns
- in turn, via an alternatorsupply never stops
- Controller
- 2 to 6 filtersshows the time to the next regeneration
- Alarms
- warn about deviationscan send data to the control room if needed
What needs a person
- Iron and manganese checks
- in a sample after the filter
- Reagent
- topping upif the scheme uses reagents
- Backwash water consumption
- watch for growththe first sign the media is wearing out
Unlike RO concentrate, it carries a lot of suspended solids — iron and manganese compounds.
- Discharged to the industrial sewer
- Settled to separate the sludge
- Treated on site, with part of the water reused
Whether it can be discharged depends on its composition and the acceptance conditions at your site.
We commission the system, train your staff and provide warranty and post-warranty service: we diagnose the equipment, check treatment quality and adjust operating modes.
Cost
Cost of iron removal: it is not just the equipment price
We price the system for your site — based on the water analysis, capacity and treated water requirements. We compare not only the equipment cost but also the costs over its whole service life.
What drives the cost
- Water composition: how many stages and which media you need
- Capacity in m³/h and m³/day, operating mode, peaks and reserve
- Treated water requirements: drinking, household or process
- Level of automation and remote monitoring
- How to regenerate the media and where to discharge the backwash water
We calculate the total cost of ownership
- Capital costs — equipment, automation, installation and commissioning
- Operating costs — backwash water, reagents (if the scheme uses them), electricity, service
- Life cycle — equipment life, maintainability, upgrades
Send us your water analysis, capacity and treatment requirements — an engineer will review the data and suggest the next steps.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about iron and manganese removal
Didn’t find your question? Ask an engineer using the form below.
Tap water looks clear — why remove iron?
In groundwater, iron is dissolved and invisible when the water is drawn. It oxidizes with oxygen from the air later — in a tank, a pipeline or the product. That is why you judge by a lab report on a fresh sample, not by color.
Can water with very high iron content be treated?
Yes, with the right technology. At a poultry processing plant, an 80 m³/h system reduces iron from 24 mg/L to ≤ 0.2 mg/L.
Why does a filter hold iron but let manganese through?
Manganese oxidizes under different conditions and more slowly than iron. A scheme designed only for iron does not create those conditions. The fix is the right media and operating mode, not a bigger column.
Do you use aeration?
Not classic schemes with compressors, ejectors and aeration towers. We select the technology and media for the water composition, and we check difficult cases in the lab on a sample before you buy any equipment.
Do I need a water analysis?
Yes, the technology cannot be chosen without it. If you do not have one, we will do it in our lab. The sample must be fresh and delivered as quickly as possible: iron settles out in air, and hydrogen sulfide escapes quickly.
Does the system need a full-time operator?
No. The system backwashes the filters and monitors operating parameters on its own. A person is needed for scheduled maintenance and periodic water quality checks.
Get your iron removal system calculated
We will match the system to your water composition, capacity and treatment requirements. No analysis yet? We will do it in our lab. The consultation and preliminary estimate are free.
Phone: +38 095 93 21 273
Where to go next
Related technologies
- Mechanical water filtration
- Combined treatment (MIX)
- Odor removal and sorption treatment
- Water softening
Water sources
- Boreholes and groundwater sources