• Many minerals are found in water.water drops enters into water image by Denis Tabler from Fotolia.com
  
  Many minerals, including iron and sulphur, occur naturally in water. Consuming the trace amounts found in water is not harmful to a person's health, but they can cause an undesirable taste to the water. In addition, having too much of the minerals can cause stains to form on pieces of clothing when they are washed.
  
  

Water contamination

• Because water comes from wells and those wells are dug in the ground, water will inevitably carry earthy minerals. According to an article published in the "Journal of General Internal Medicine" in 2001, tap water in North America can carry levels of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and sodium. While the levels of these minerals in water are not harmful to a healthy individual, they can affect some of the other properties of water, such as the taste and the residue that it leaves behind.
  
  

Iron removal

• One way to remove iron is to change its form. When a mineral is able to dissolve in water, it's known as water soluble. By changing it to an insoluble form, the iron won't be able to dissolve. To change iron, you can aerate the water line, introducing oxygen into the system. There are also several techniques with chemicals, such as chlorination, that cause iron to change to an insoluble form. Water softeners can also remove soluble iron.
  
  Once the iron has been separated from the water, setting up a filtration system will stop the particles from passing along with the water as it travels through the pipes in your home.
  
  

Sulphur removal

• When people are dealing with sulphur in their water supply, they are actually battling a gas molecule called hydrogen sulfide, a sulphur atom bonded with two hydrogen atoms. This can cause the terrible smell of rotten eggs to permeate the house, making its removal an essential task to a healthy home.
  
  Oxidation--breaking the molecule into different forms that are either harmless or can be filtered--is the best way to treat for hydrogen sulfide. Using a product such as bleach or hydrogen peroxide will help the oxidation process. After oxidation occurs, filters can catch the unwanted insoluble particles.
  
  Aeration systems can also be used. This system requires a waste pipe to vent unwanted gas. This method may not always be effective for very high levels of sulphur contamination. However, it will also help if there is iron in the water.
  
  Water softeners are not an effective removal tool for sulphur.