Water Quality
Well Water in Florida: Iron Stains and Rotten Egg Smell
May 21, 2026 · 6 min read
Orange staining and a sulfur smell are the two most common well complaints we get in Wellington, Loxahatchee and out west. Both are fixable.
Private wells in South and Central Florida are not treated by any utility, so whatever the aquifer holds arrives at your tap. The two problems homeowners report most are iron and hydrogen sulfide.
Iron: the orange stains
Dissolved ferrous iron is clear coming out of the tap and turns orange once it hits air, which is why stains show up in toilets, tubs, sinks and on the driveway from irrigation. A softener alone can handle very low iron levels, but past that it fouls the resin bed. The right fix is an oxidizing iron filter ahead of the softener.
Sulfur: the rotten egg smell
Hydrogen sulfide gas produces that unmistakable smell, strongest in hot water. It is not typically a health hazard at household levels, but it is corrosive to metal fixtures and impossible to ignore. Air injection or catalytic media systems oxidize the gas and filter it out with no chemicals to refill.
Getting the sequence right
- Sediment or iron filtration first, so grit and oxidized iron never reach the softener
- Sulfur treatment where odor is present
- Softener next for hardness
- Reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink for drinking and ice
Sizing depends on the actual iron, sulfide, hardness and pH numbers from your well, which change from one property to the next even on the same street. That is why we test on site before recommending anything.
Not sure what your water needs?
We test your water on site at no charge and put the recommendation in writing.
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