rusty looking water; low iron levels

[tambo]

Our water is on a local "community well". We are unincorporated but we pay for the water that comes to us from a treatment plant, so it is not well water. It is always or nearly always discolored - ranging from yellow to orange. There is no smell and if let sit in a jar sediment settles on the bottom and the water on top looks clear. We have a whole house sediment filter and a water softener. We've had it tested a couple of times and it always tests low for iron and nothing else shows up according to the testing companies. It stains our clothes, sinks, tubs, etc... and is discolored hot or cold, no matter how long we run it and from the outside taps.

Any thoughts on what it could be and how to better filter it? Maybe we just need some sort of heftier sediment filtration system??

Thanks for any help!

[Alex]

If the discoloration settles to the bottom of a glass, than you should be able to use a better sediment filter with a smaller micron rating to help clear up your water.

What filter do you currently use? What size is the filter cartridge?

You should try something about 5 microns and see where that puts you. Make sure that the water filter is on the cold water line before it splits off to the water heater.