Back yard, stop 7 of 7

Orange stains and grit from a well

Well water iron stains show as orange streaks on sinks and inside toilet tanks, but a stain can’t tell you how much iron is there, or whether old pipe is adding to it. Get the minerals and metals test first; it covers iron, manganese, lead, copper and pH¹. Clemson lists $50, 6 to 8 weeks.

Go to the bathroom sink, then lift the toilet tank lid and look at the walls and water line.

Updated November 4, 2026, Midlands House Walk

Long orange streak down white porcelain from spout to drain — An orange iron stain running from the faucet to the drain of a white porcelain sink. The path shows where water drips and sits. AI-generated picture.

Inside of a white toilet tank with rusty staining around the walls — A toilet tank with the lid off and orange staining on the white walls and at the water line. Water sits here all day, so stains show early. AI-generated picture.

What's inside the toilet tank?

Look for: Lift the lid and set it down somewhere flat. Note the color on the walls and any sludge at the bottom. Take a phone photo for the lab or contractor.
What it tells you: Orange points you toward iron, and the test will say how much¹. It doesn’t say where it’s coming from, so keep looking for rusty pipe too.

Corroded bend in a painted metal pipe, with a rust hole and flaking paint — A rust hole at a bend in a galvanized well-water pipe. Rust from old pipe can also color water, so a stain may not come from the well itself.

Could the pipe be adding to it?

Look for: Check the pipe at the pressure tank and any you can see from the hatch. Write down any rust spots, flaking paint and wet joints.
What it tells you: Galvanized line is iron or steel dipped in zinc², and it can rust. A filter on the water won’t mend a rusted pipe. Tell the plumber or contractor what you found.

Stained tank next to a small pump and old hand pump on bare concrete — An old hand pump and small electric pump by a stained tank, on a concrete floor. Look for the same streaks around your tank and fittings.

What about grit?

Look for: Run a glass of cold water and let it settle. Sand or grit at the bottom is a different question from color, and it’s a good one to raise with a well contractor.
What it tells you: Grit can come from the well or from the pipes, and only a look at the system will tell. A filter sized for iron won’t answer that. Your well test comes first either way.

Capped sample jar on a kitchen counter close to the faucet — A plain water sample container by the kitchen sink. A number from a lab beats any sales pitch at this stage. AI-generated picture.

Have you got a number yet?

Look for: Check your files for an old lab report. If there isn’t one, or it’s from before you noticed the stains, ask the program or a lab about a new sample.
What it tells you: The minerals and metals test also covers lead and copper¹, so it’s useful beyond the stains. Then you’ll know what you’re treating. City water is another matter, and Columbia Water warns about unnecessary treatment sales³.

Is this a problem on city water?

This page is about wells. On city water, Columbia Water says filters aren’t needed to make its water safe, and warns that in-home tests can create a false impression³. If stains showed up after a flood, read a well that went under floodwater before anything else.

Yours to do

Order the minerals and metals test before you buy anything¹.
Photograph the sink, tank and any rusty joints, with dates.
If you’ve got septic, ask how any softener or filter would discharge, as Clemson lists softener discharge among things to keep out of the tank⁴.

For a licensed pro

A well contractor for grit, a change in color, or anything sudden.
A plumber for rusted pipe or joints.
Sizing and fitting of any treatment, after the lab result, and only for what it shows.

Where this comes from

Keep walking to at the streetFind the sewer cleanout in your yard