Iron & Contaminated Water Treatment for Windsor & Essex County
Not every water quality problem fits neatly into the hard water or chlorine category. Across rural Essex County — and in parts of Windsor's older neighbourhoods — homes draw water that carries iron, manganese, hydrogen sulphide, arsenic, tannins, or elevated acidity. These contaminants stain fixtures, corrode pipes, produce unpleasant tastes and odours, and in some cases pose genuine health concerns. Aerus calls this category "problem water," and we carry a line of treatment systems built specifically to address it.
The first thing to understand about problem water is that no single system handles all of it. Iron treatment and arsenic treatment use different media. A hydrogen sulphide problem requires a different approach than a tannin problem. What makes this category distinct is that the treatment must match the specific contaminant — and that starts with testing.
Iron and Manganese Water Contamination Treatment
Iron and manganese are the most common problem-water contaminants in Essex County well water. Iron shows up as orange or reddish-brown staining in sinks, toilets, and laundry. Manganese leaves darker, greyish-black deposits. Both accumulate inside pipes and water heaters, reducing flow and efficiency over time. A metallic taste is often the first signal, followed by visible staining that gets progressively harder to clean.
The complication with iron treatment is that the iron in your water can exist in different forms. Ferrous iron is dissolved — the water looks clear but stains surfaces when it oxidizes after leaving the tap. Ferric iron is already oxidized — the water may appear orange or cloudy. The treatment media that works for one type may not work for the other, and some wells produce both. A test tells us which form is present and at what concentration, and that determines the right approach.
ISM200
The Aerus ISM200 is designed specifically for iron, hydrogen sulphide, and manganese removal. It uses a catalytic media that oxidizes and traps these contaminants before they reach your fixtures. For well-water homes where iron staining and rotten-egg smell are the primary complaints, the ISM200 is typically the right unit. It handles the three most common problem-water contaminants in a single system.
Arsenic Water Contamination Treatment
Arsenic is less common than iron in Essex County but worth testing for — particularly on rural properties near older agricultural land or in areas with specific geological profiles. It's colourless, odourless, and tasteless, which makes it undetectable without a water test. Health Canada has set a maximum acceptable concentration for arsenic in drinking water, and levels above that threshold require treatment.
AR100
The Aerus AR100 is purpose-built for arsenic removal. It uses adsorptive media designed to capture arsenic compounds as water passes through the system. For properties where testing confirms arsenic as a concern, this is a targeted solution that addresses the specific contaminant without overcomplicating the treatment train.
Hydrogen Sulfide Water Contamination Treatment
The rotten-egg smell that some well-water homeowners experience is almost always hydrogen sulphide gas dissolved in the water. It's distinctive, unpleasant, and strong enough in some cases to make showering uncomfortable and guests reluctant to use the tap. Hydrogen sulphide is produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria in the groundwater or within the well casing itself.
ISM200
The ISM200 handles hydrogen sulphide alongside iron and manganese. For wells where hydrogen sulphide is the sole or primary concern, it provides effective treatment without the need for additional equipment.
High Acidity Water Treatment
Water with a low pH — acidic water — corrodes copper pipes, leaches metals from plumbing fittings, and gradually introduces lead, copper, and other metals into what you drink. Blue-green staining around copper pipe fittings is one indicator. Pinhole leaks in copper plumbing are another. If your home has copper pipes and you're seeing these signs, testing the pH is a logical starting point.
C150
The Aerus C150 is an acid-neutralizing system that raises the pH of incoming water to a neutral range, protecting pipes, fixtures, and appliances from the corrosive effects of low-pH water. It uses a calcite media that dissolves gradually as water passes through, buffering the acidity. Media replenishment is straightforward and infrequent.
Tannins Water Treatment
Tannins are organic compounds that enter groundwater from decaying vegetation in the soil. They produce a tea-coloured tint in the water — sometimes subtle, sometimes pronounced — and can give water a musty or earthy taste. Tannins aren't a health risk, but they're aesthetically objectionable and can interfere with the performance of other treatment equipment if not addressed upstream.
T150
The Aerus T150 uses anion-exchange media specifically designed to capture tannin molecules. For wells where tannin-tinted water is the concern, this is the targeted fix. It's typically installed as part of a multi-stage system on properties with complex well chemistry where tannins are one of several issues being addressed.
Multi-Stage Treatment for Complex Water Problems
Many rural properties in Essex County don't have just one problem. A well might show elevated iron, high hardness, and moderate tannin levels in the same test. Addressing all three requires a treatment sequence designed around the specific chemistry — typically an iron filter first, followed by a water softener or conditioner, with a reverse osmosis system at the kitchen tap for drinking water.
We design these multi-stage systems after testing, not before. The order of equipment matters, the media selections matter, and sizing each component correctly matters. Getting it right the first time saves money and frustration.
Start With a Free Water Test
A free in-home water test identifies what's in your water and at what levels. For problem-water situations — iron, sulphur, tannins, or anything that looks or smells wrong — the test is the only responsible starting point. We come to your home, test at the tap, and walk through the results the same day.
Contact us to schedule a visit. We serve Windsor and all of Essex County and deal with problem water regularly.