Manatee · Sarasota · Hillsborough · Pinellas · Charlotte
Orange Stains or Rotten-Egg Smell in Your Well Water? Iron & Sulfur Treatment
in Bradenton.
Real systems our team has installed — scroll through.
4.7★ from 212 Google reviews · WQA Gold Seal Puronics dealer · Our own techs, no subcontractors
Request your free water test
★★★★★ 4.7 — a few details and we reach out, usually same day.
Our install · a real job, not stock
Why your well water stains orange and smells like rotten eggs
Two of the most common well complaints in Manatee County trace back to the same place: your water picking up minerals and gas as it moves through Florida limestone and organic soils. Orange, red, or brown staining on toilets, sinks, tubs, and laundry is dissolved iron turning to rust the moment it meets air. The rotten-egg smell is hydrogen sulfide gas, often made worse by naturally occurring sulfur bacteria in the well. In the amounts most homes see, neither is dangerous — and both are very treatable. You do not have to live with stained fixtures or hold your breath at the tap.
One problem, a few different solutions — the test decides
There is no single “iron and sulfur system.” The right one depends on what your water actually shows, which is why we test first (or read your lab results if you already have them). Low-to-moderate iron and sulfur with no bacteria is handled cleanly by an air-injection filter — no salt, no chemicals. If a test comes back with iron or sulfur bacteria — the slimy kind that rebuilds the smell no matter how many times you shock the well — we step up to chlorine injection, because oxidation alone does not kill the bacteria causing the problem. And if your water is acidic (low pH, generally under about 6.8), we correct that first, or nothing downstream performs the way it should.
How air injection works (and why there are no chemicals)
An air-injection filter holds a pocket of air at the top of the tank. As your well water passes through, that oxygen turns dissolved iron and sulfur into tiny solid particles, and the filter media traps them. Each night the system backwashes the trapped iron and sulfur to drain and draws in a fresh pocket of air — no salt to refill, no chemicals to buy, nothing for you to do day to day. For the majority of Manatee County wells, it is the clean, low-maintenance answer.
When bacteria is in the picture: chlorine injection
If your well tests positive for bacteria, chlorine injection is the fix. A small metered pump adds a precise amount of chlorine ahead of a contact tank, which oxidizes the iron and sulfur and disinfects the water at the source — killing the bacteria and the biofilm slime that make the smell come back. A backwashing carbon filter then removes the oxidized minerals and takes the chlorine back out before the water reaches your home, so you are not drinking or showering in chlorine. It treats the cause, not just the symptom — which is why we prefer it whenever bacteria is present.
The equipment we install, and why it lasts
We build on Puronics equipment — WQA Gold Seal certified and NSF-tested — and, for custom well systems, US-made Clack control valves that can be serviced and rebuilt for years, instead of the sealed “black-box” units many companies install and replace. Every system is sized to your home and your water, installed by our own techs (the same person who tested your water), and backed by 0% financing options. We are firefighter-founded and family-owned, and we never use subcontractors.
Technical specifications
Ideal for
- ✓ Wells with orange, red, or brown staining or a metallic taste (iron)
- ✓ Wells that smell like rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide)
- ✓ Homeowners who want a no-salt, no-chemical fix for most wells
- ✓ Wells where the smell keeps coming back after shocking — a sign of bacteria (we step up to chlorine injection)
- ✓ Anyone who wants a system sized to their actual water, not a one-size-fits-all unit
Why we build every system on Clack
The control valve is the brain of your system — and it is the part that actually wears out over the years, not the tank. We use the Clack WS1 on every build for one big reason: you are never trapped. It is a name-brand, certified, professional-grade valve that is genuinely easy to service — so if it ever needs attention down the road, a handy homeowner can watch a video and handle it, or simply have the peace of mind of knowing it can be fixed fast, with no proprietary parts. A lot of companies install a more economical valve to hit a price. We do not — one serviceable, certified valve on every system, sized to your water.
Coverage depends on the system. Our Puronics systems carry a lifetime warranty on manufacturer defects and a 2,000,000-gallon warranty on the carbon. Custom-built systems carry the manufacturer warranties on the Clack valve and media plus our own labor warranty — a shorter term than the Puronics lifetime, but on certified, name-brand parts. Either way you get your exact coverage in writing at your quote — never a vague promise.
Maintenance
An air-injection system backwashes itself — no salt to refill, no chemicals to buy. We service it on a simple schedule as part of taking care of you. And because it is built on Clack, it is homeowner-serviceable too: down the road you can watch a how-to video (ours are coming) or just rest easy knowing it can be repaired quickly, without proprietary parts.
Systems we install for iron & sulfur
Tell us what you are noticing — stains, smell, taste — and we will point you to the right starting system.
Our work
Recent installs
around the Suncoast.
Real systems our team has installed — slide through, tap any photo to enlarge.
For the full picture of local well water and every treatment option, see our well water treatment hub, or use the Which Water System quiz for a starting recommendation in about a minute.
What your neighbors say
4.7★ from 212 Google reviews.
“I cannot say enough amazing things about this company and system! We had three companies come out and Hydrology stood out on every level.”
“We’ve had our system now a month and absolutely love it. My wife is a hair beautician with over 30 years of experience and definitely can tell the difference with the water.”
“Wow, I can definitely feel a difference in my hair, skin, and when I wash my hands. I knew getting a water softener was a priority and I’m so glad I decided to go with Hydrology.”
Every review is on our Google profile — read all of them there. We don’t cherry-pick; we just answer the phone.
Straight answers
Common questions.
What people ask us before they book.
More water answers →
What hard water does to a home: the Battelle study →
Is orange or brown staining always iron?
Almost always — dissolved iron turns rust-colored the moment it meets air. A quick test tells us how much you have and whether an air-injection filter or a chlorine system is the right size for it.
Why does my water smell like rotten eggs?
That is hydrogen sulfide gas, usually with help from natural sulfur bacteria in the well. If the smell keeps coming back after you shock the well, bacteria is the reason — and that is exactly when chlorine injection is the real fix.
Do I need chemicals to fix iron and sulfur?
Usually not. For most wells an air-injection filter handles both with no salt and no chemicals. Chlorine is added only when a test shows bacteria, and it is filtered back out before it reaches your taps.
Will a water softener remove my iron?
A softener handles only small dissolved amounts (roughly 1–2 ppm). Above that, iron fouls the softener resin, so we install a dedicated iron filter ahead of it. Your test shows which you need.
How much does an iron or sulfur system cost?
It depends on your water and your home, so we quote it after the free in-home test rather than guessing. We also offer 0% financing (Synchrony / Wisetack) so it fits your budget.
Is the equipment certified?
Yes — WQA Gold Seal certified, NSF-tested Puronics equipment, built on US-made Clack valves. Certified performance, and serviceable for the long haul.
What control valve do you use, and can I service it myself?
We build every system on the name-brand, certified Clack WS1 — chosen because it is genuinely easy to service. If you are handy, you can watch a video and handle a repair yourself with no proprietary parts; if you would rather not, our own techs take care of it. Either way you are never locked into one company to keep your water running.
What is the warranty?
A lifetime warranty on manufacturer defects, plus a 2,000,000-gallon warranty on the carbon — on WQA Gold Seal certified, manufacturer-backed equipment, and we put it in writing. Always ask any company who actually backs their warranty and to see it in writing.
Related: free water testing.
