How to Remove Iron & Magnesium From Water

Iron and magnesium are commonly dissolved in well water to make the water "hard." Water softeners remove these ions, along with a few others, and replace them with sodium. Another way to remove iron and magnesium is by creating insoluble iron hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide. This will not lower the concentration of the iron and magnesium ions as well as other chelating ions, however hydroxide is generally safer than the other ions.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves and goggles
• Beaker
• Chilled water
• Sodium hydroxide
• Glass stirring rod

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Put on the gloves and goggles.

   • 2

     Place the cold water in the beaker.

   • 3

     Add 10 to 20 pellets of sodium hydroxide (about 0.5 grams).

   • 4

     Stir with the glass stirring rod. A white powder should begin to settle out of the solution quickly. If the water warms up, it will need to be re-chilled. The white powder is a mixture of iron hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.