How to confirm the source
- Do the stains match the spray pattern of sprinkler heads?
- Do they appear after the irrigation runs?
- Does the property have an irrigation well?
- Is the tap water clear, with a chlorine residual?
If you answer yes to the first three, the irrigation water is the likely source.
Black or dark brown stains can come from manganese, which often travels with iron in groundwater. The test checks for the cause, not just the color.
Commercial properties
Stained building walls, signs and parking areas affect how a business looks. Commercial irrigation wells often run larger pumps, so iron treatment has to be sized to a higher flow. Jorge tests the well water and measures flow before recommending anything.
The same applies to homes: a freshly painted wall can be marked within weeks if the sprinklers keep hitting it with untreated well water.
Indoor discoloration
- Brief brown water after street work: disturbed sediment. Run cold water; call Broward County WWS at 954-831-3250 if it continues.
- Rusty water from some fixtures: old pipes or fittings.
- Hot side only: the water heater.
What the Department of Health says
The Florida Department of Health's fact sheet explains that red stains, swampy tastes and red slime in toilet tanks can come from iron bacteria in well water. Iron bacteria are not known to cause disease but cause stains, tastes and odors.
Treatment options
- Iron treatment on the irrigation line, sized to iron level and pump flow.
- A well water system where a well supplies a building.
- Plumbing repair for indoor rust from old pipes.
Cleaning removes old stains; treating the water prevents new ones.
What to test
- Iron in the irrigation water and the tap water separately.
- pH and hardness, which affect the treatment choice.
- Chlorine residual at the tap, to confirm it is county water.
- On a drinking well: bacteria and nitrate by a certified lab.
Take the irrigation sample from a sprinkler line after the pump has run a few minutes, since the first water out can differ.
Free test
Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974.
https://www.floridahealth.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/well-water-facts-odor-staining.pdf
https://www.floridahealth.gov/community-environmental-public-health/environmental-public-health/water-quality/drinking-water/private-wells/
https://www.broward.org/waterservices/WaterQualityReport
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist