Iron Ochre in the water

Most people would look at these pictures and think it was rust or clay coming out of the pipe. I know that's what I thought when I first encountered this problem many years ago. What you are looking at is actually a kind of bacteria in the ground water. It is called iron ochre and gets mistaken for clay all the time. The reason is that it will build up and clog pipes. When this happens the pipes look like they are filled with clay. This homeowner first called because of a leaky basement. He thought that his old waterproofing system was clogged with clay. The first thing that needed to happen was to get a smooth pipe into the sump. The old pipe has ridges and they act like building blocks for the bacteria to build on, this is what clogged the pipes in the first place. A smooth pipe is less likely to clog, and much easier to clean out.