WATER TREATMENT · 84 MIN FROM OUR GREENVILLE OFFICE
Manganese is the metal to test for in Erie County wells: 83% of 42 USGS-sampled wells were above the 0.05 mg/L line, while iron cleared its staining line in 33% of 251.
Serving our communities since 1967
USGS sampled Erie County wells between 1927 and 2023. That shows what is common here, and your own water test sets the size of the system.
Schedule a water test- HardMedian 8.2 gpg; 68% of 349 wells hard or very hardScale on fixtures, spotted glassware, a water heater working harder than it should. The softener is sized to your own test.The softener
- Iron33% of 251 wells above 0.3 mg/L; median 0.18 mg/LOrange staining that scrubbing never gets ahead of. The FerronX goes in at the point of entry, ahead of the softener.The iron system
- Manganese83% of 42 wells above 0.05 mg/LBlack flecks, dark marks in the dishwasher, a metallic taste. The FerronX takes it out with the iron, sized to whichever is higher.The iron system
- pHMedian pH 7.6; 4% of 208 wells below 6.5Acidic water pulls copper and lead out of the plumbing and leaves blue-green stains. A neutralizer goes ahead of everything else.Blue-green stains
- Not on recordBacteria, nitrate, PFAS, arsenicThe public record is minerals from a few dozen wells. The things that matter most to health are only in your own sample.Water testing
- 349 wellsIn the USGS record for Erie County. Each well counts once, as the median of its samples.
- 60 ftMedian well depth on record; the middle half fall between 45 and 78 feet.
- 84 minFrom our Greenville office by road. Same crews, same drive, for the whole area.
- WHAT YOUR TEST ADDS
- Your well’s numbers, not the county’s
- Bacteria and nitrate, which the record never covers
- Which equipment your water needs, and in what order
WHAT WE INSTALL IN ERIE COUNTY
The Equipment Erie
Water Tends to Need.
Chatfield Water Systems is one line, with one system per problem. Your water test decides which ones you need and in what order; the county record shows which are likely.
- HARD AT THE MEDIAN
Water softeners
68% of sampled Erie County wells were hard or very hard, at a median of 8.2 grains per gallon. Your softener is sized to your own test.
EXPLORE - 33% OF WELLS ABOVE THE IRON LINE
Iron & manganese removal
33% of sampled wells were above 0.3 mg/L of iron and 83% above the manganese line. The FerronX goes in at the point of entry, ahead of the softener.
EXPLORE - BY THE CALL, NOT THE RECORD
Sulfur removal
Hydrogen sulfide isn’t in the county record; the rotten-egg smell gives it away. Injection, dosed from the test, and the CataPure carbon system take it out.
EXPLORE - AFTER THE FILTERS
UV sanitation
Bacteria aren’t in the public record either; a coliform test finds them. The Luminor UV lamp follows a sediment filter and treats every gallon entering the house.
EXPLORE - AT THE SINK
Reverse osmosis
Nitrate, arsenic, lead and PFAS are dissolved and tasteless. The membrane takes them out at the tap you drink from.
EXPLORE - FIRST, EVERY TIME
A water test
Every system above starts with a test of your well or your tap water, from our Greenville office, about 84 minutes from Erie. What it finds decides which equipment you need and the order it goes in.
EXPLORE
WATER TREATMENT IN ERIE COUNTY
What Erie Water Says,
and What We Do About It.
Manganese well ahead of iron
Manganese often comes out of the tap clear and shows up later as brown or black staining on fixtures and laundry, and at higher levels as a bitter taste. That makes it easy to miss: a well can carry it without the orange staining iron leaves. In the USGS samples, which run from 1927 to 2023, iron's median is 0.18 mg/L, under the 0.3 line, while manganese is over its line far more often. The manganese figure rests on 42 wells, fewer than the other measures.
The FerronX Iron System takes out manganese and iron together at the point of entry. Ask for both metals, reported separately, from any water test; the FerronX is sized from them.
Hard water in 68% of 349 wells
Hardness is the most-sampled measure in the county record: 349 wells, with a median of 8.2 grains per gallon and 68% hard or very hard. Expect scale on faucets, spots on dishes and a water heater that loses efficiency over time. A LuxSoft water softener sized to the grain reading handles it, placed after the FerronX so iron and manganese don't coat the resin.
pH is rarely the issue: a median of 7.6, with 4% of 208 wells below 6.5. A calcite neutralizer is for the few wells that test under that line, where blue-green stains on copper fixtures are the giveaway. Where the complaint is grit or cloudy water, a sediment filter goes first, ahead of everything else.
Lake water, well water and what's added
The Erie City Water Authority lists coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, microscreening and rapid sand filtration for particles, and permanganate for taste and odor. It adds chlorine after filtration, fluoride and an orthophosphate inhibitor. North East Borough's list has similar particle steps plus powdered carbon, spray aeration for organics, and permanganate for iron, manganese and organics. It adjusts pH after treatment and adds orthophosphate for corrosion control. For chlorine taste from either, the CityLux treats the whole house.
Among the well systems, Albion and Waterford list greensand filtration for iron and manganese, and Edinboro, the Fairview Township authority's District 3, Girard and Lake City list sequestration. Edinboro also lists packed-tower aeration for organics, Wattsburg ion exchange for inorganics, and Albion and Waterford phosphate inhibitors for corrosion control.
Lead rounds, including Wattsburg's 2019 result
Every round EPA lists for these systems is under the 0.015 mg/L action level but one. The Erie City Water Authority recorded 0.00118 mg/L in 2016, zero in 2019, and 0.00108 in 2022 and 2025. North East, Girard and the Fairview Township authority's District 3 have four rounds each, all recorded as zero. Albion's last two were 0.00079; Corry's ranged from 0.00145 to 0.003; Edinboro's ran from zero in 2016 to 0.00363 in 2025. Wattsburg's single round on record, in 2019, was 0.0445 mg/L, over the action level.
Each is a 90th percentile across a system's sampled taps, and your tap can differ. A certified-lab test at the sink gives your number; reverse osmosis there is the usual answer if lead turns up.
From our Greenville office
Erie is about 84 minutes and 65.4 miles by road from our Greenville office, and the rest of the county is the same crews and the same drive. Whether you’re located in Erie, Edinboro, Waterford, or the countryside in between, we’re equipped to drill and service private wells that meet your property’s water demands. The service map lists 16 Erie County communities:
- Albion
- Corry
- Cranesville
- Edinboro
- Elgin
- Erie
- Fairview
- Girard
- Lake City
- McKean
- Mill Village
- North East
- Platea
- Waterford
- Wattsburg
- Wesleyville
- The Erie County page
Source: Water quality: USGS National Water Information System results for Erie County wells, served through the Water Quality Portal, sampled between 1927 and 2023, retrieved 2026-09-14. Each well counts once, as the median of its samples. The 0.3 mg/L iron and 0.05 mg/L manganese marks are EPA secondary standards, which are aesthetic limits, not health limits. Well depth: USGS groundwater site inventory for Erie County, 1,755 wells with a recorded depth, retrieved 2026-09-14.
A LITTLE CLARITY
Erie County Questions.
Straight Answers.
Why do fixtures in some Erie County homes turn black instead of orange?
Black or dark brown marks usually point to manganese rather than iron. In the county's USGS samples, 83% of 42 wells were above the 0.05 mg/L manganese line, while iron was over its staining line in 33% of 251. A test that measures both tells you which you have, and the FerronX removes both at the point of entry.
Does a shallow Erie County well need a bacteria test?
It's worth doing. The USGS county record puts the median well at 60 feet, with the middle half between 45 and 78, and a shallower well draws water from nearer the surface. Test for coliform bacteria once a year and after well work or flooding. If it turns up, a Luminor UV installed after filtration is a common answer.
Does Erie's city water carry chloramine?
Not on EPA's list. The Erie City Water Authority lists chlorine after filtration, and North East Borough lists chlorine before and after, with no chloramine on either list. Chlorine is what you may taste or smell at the tap. A carbon filter takes it out, and the CityLux does it for the whole house, shower included.
Where does Cranesville's water come from?
EPA lists the Cranesville Water Department as buying groundwater from Albion Borough, with no wells and no treatment steps of its own on the record, which isn't the same as untreated water. Albion's own list includes greensand filtration for iron and manganese, chlorine and a polyphosphate inhibitor. The department's annual water report covers what reaches your tap.
Do you test water in Erie County?
Yes. Chatfield’s water test and consultation cover Erie County from our Greenville office, about 84 minutes away by road. The test measures what is in your water and at what level, and any equipment it points to is quoted after the results.
Which Erie County communities do you serve for water treatment?
All of them, from Greenville. The service map lists 16 Erie County communities, including Albion, Corry, Cranesville, Edinboro, Elgin, Erie, and the townships between them; the county line is the boundary, not the town list.
Talk with the Chatfield team.
(724) 588-2652A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE GOES A LONG WAY
Know Your Water.
WATER PROBLEMSDo you have hard water?
The signs, the county hardness record, and how to confirm it.
WATER PROBLEMSOrange stains from your well water.
Read the stain, the county iron record, and what to note before you call.
WATER PROBLEMSBacteria in your water.
What a coliform result means, what to do now, and which treatment follows.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Better Water in Erie
Starts with a Test.
Call or fill out the form to schedule your water test. We’ll come out from Greenville, measure what is in the water, and recommend the equipment that fits.