• Iron is are undesirable in groundwater because of their effect on the appearance and taste of the water, their ability to cause staining, and the health effects of manganese.
• Iron occur naturally in water, especially groundwater. Neither of the elements causes adverse health effects; they are, in fact, essential to the human diet. However, water containing excessive amounts of iron can stain clothes, discolor plumbing fixtures, and sometimes add a "rusty" taste and look to the water.
• How iron are removed depends on the type and concentration, and this helps determine the best procedure and treatment system to use. Iron can be present in water in one of two basic forms: dissolved, and suspended. The predominance of one form over another is dependent on the water's pH. The two most common treatment methods are removal by oxidation/filtration and adsorbing.
• Oxidation involves the introduction of an oxidizing agent which chemically reacts with the iron to form an insoluble particle which can then be physically filtered out through a media bed.

Oxidation can be carried out one of the following methods:

• Aeration - blowing/spraying air through the water
• Addition of dissolved chemical oxidants - chlorine, chlorine dioxide and potassium permanganate (KMnO4)
• Adsorption - Activated carbon.