“Why Is Our Office Water Brown?” – A Call from an IT Firm in Porur

Last Tuesday, I got a call from the facilities manager of a mid-sized IT office located in Porur, Chennai. He sounded irritated and overwhelmed.

“Our water looks brown. It’s embarrassing. We had clients visiting last week, and someone pointed it out while washing their hands. Even the mugs in our pantry have brown rings. This needs to be fixed immediately.”

I asked him a few questions to understand the source and type of water they were using.

“We get borewell water,” he said. “And we’ve just been using a basic filter. The plumber said that was enough. But now we’re seeing brown stains on washbasins, toilets, and even inside our kettles.”

This was clearly a classic case of iron contamination — and we’ve dealt with dozens just like it.

The real problem: high iron content in borewell water

I asked if the water had been tested. He replied, “No, we just assumed it was dirty water from the tank. We even cleaned the sump last month, but it didn’t help.”

That’s when I explained, “This isn’t a tank issue — this is coming from the source. Borewell water in many parts of Chennai contains naturally high iron content. That’s what gives it the brownish color, metallic smell, and rusty stains.”

I added, “You can keep changing filters and cleaning tanks, but until you remove the iron itself, the problem will keep coming back.”

Step one: test the water properly

We always recommend water testing before suggesting a solution. I guided them to collect a sample directly from the borewell line, not the tank, and send it to a nearby certified lab.

The test result confirmed it:
Iron levels were 3.5 ppm, while the acceptable level for potable water is below 0.3 ppm.
TDS and other parameters were within range.

I told him, “Now we know the exact cause. Your office doesn’t need an RO system — you need an iron removal system designed to filter out this excess iron.”

The right fix: an iron removal plant for commercial use

A lot of people assume that only homes suffer from iron in water, but offices and commercial buildings face even more visible problems — stained washrooms, rusted plumbing, and bad impressions on clients and staff.

I recommended a automatic iron removal plant connected just after their borewell source and before the water entered their overhead tank.

He asked, “Will it be hard to maintain? We don’t want daily interference.”

I explained, “This is a fully automatic system. It self-cleans through backwash cycles and requires only occasional salt top-ups or checks. No daily maintenance. It’s perfect for commercial setups like yours.”

What about installation and space?

His next concern was timing. “We can’t afford any downtime. The office runs full-time on weekdays, and I can’t have workers running around drilling and cutting pipes while meetings are going on.”

I understood the worry — this was an IT office, not a construction site.

I explained, “No disruption at all. We usually do installations for commercial clients early in the morning. Our team works quietly and quickly. Most of the setup happens outdoors, near your motor room or pump area. The internal water lines won’t be touched.”

He was relieved. “That works. We have maintenance staff on Saturday mornings. Can your team coordinate with them?”

“Done,” I said. “We’ll finish the plumbing, flushing, and backwash programming in one visit. By Monday, your water will be clear and iron-free.”

The result? Clean, clear water — and no more complaints

We installed the system in two days. Within hours of flushing the lines, the brown color started clearing out. The next morning, he messaged me:

“There’s a noticeable difference in the hand wash area. The staff even said the water smells better.”

Even their kitchen tea kettles and mugs stayed stain-free, and their toilet bowls no longer needed daily scrubbing.

Takeaway: brown or rusty water means iron — not dirt

If your water appears brown, has a metallic odour, or leaves reddish stains on tiles and fixtures, it’s almost always due to a high iron content in your borewell supply.

Don’t keep replacing filters or scrubbing toilets — those are just symptoms. What you need is an iron removal plant that filters the iron out before it even reaches your tanks. And watersparks is here to provide you exactly that.