Where the stain is tells you a lot
| Stain location | Likely source |
|---|---|
| Walls, driveway, fence, pool deck in a spray pattern | Irrigation well water |
| Toilets, tubs, sinks and laundry, on a well | Iron in the drinking well |
| One fixture, or brown water after a shutoff | Corroding pipes, a water heater, or disturbed sediment |
Irrigation wells and sprinklers
Shallow wells used for lawn sprinklers draw untreated groundwater, which can carry dissolved iron. Once it hits air and sunlight, the iron oxidizes and leaves orange marks. Options include an iron filter on the irrigation line, a separate treatment approach chosen from the well's test, adjusting sprinkler heads so they do not hit walls, or switching the irrigation to city water where available. Miami-Dade's outdoor watering restrictions apply to private wells too: two days a week on a schedule by address.
Private drinking wells
Outside city limits, some rural Florida City-area properties rely on private wells. If yours stains fixtures, treatment is designed around the iron level, pH, and whether hydrogen sulfide or hardness is also present. Living Water configures its well water system from the well's own test. See well water treatment in Florida City.
On city water
Florida City's 2025 report covers Biscayne Aquifer groundwater disinfected by chlorination; iron is not among the contaminants it lists. If stains show up inside a home on city water, look at galvanized pipe, an aging water heater, or sediment stirred up after line work. The city's Water & Sewer Department (786-314-4755) is the place to report discolored water from the street.
Cleaning existing stains
Treatment stops new stains; it does not remove old ones. Iron stains on concrete, stucco and pool tile usually need a cleaner made for rust, applied per the label and tested on a small area first. Pressure washing alone often spreads the color. Fix the source first, then clean, or the marks return within weeks.
Pools and pool decks
Filling or topping off a pool with iron-bearing well water can tint the water and stain plaster. If that is your situation, ask your pool professional about fill water, and test the well before the next fill.
Testing first
Jorge tests iron at the tap, the irrigation line or the wellhead, plus pH and hardness, which affect how iron behaves. Call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974.
Also see rotten-egg smell, which often travels with iron in wells.
https://www.floridacityfl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/348/2025-Florida-City-CCR-FINAL
https://www.floridacityfl.gov/183/Water-Sewer
https://www.miamidade.gov/global/water/conservation/outdoor-water-restrictions.page
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist