Iron turns water orange. Manganese leaves black stains. Hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs. These are the most common well water problems — and they're highly solvable.
Iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide are the three most common well water quality issues in the United States. They don't typically pose serious health risks at low concentrations, but they cause significant practical problems: orange staining on fixtures and laundry from iron, black staining from manganese, and the unmistakable 'rotten egg' odor from hydrogen sulfide.
Standard carbon filters do not remove dissolved iron or manganese — these require oxidation followed by filtration. The right system depends on your iron form (dissolved vs. particulate), your iron concentration, and whether manganese and H₂S are also present. A comprehensive water test is the starting point for sizing the right system.