In simple terms….a big mess that ruins everything. Manganese, Iron & H2S gas are called the trouble some trio. If one is present then more than likely to some degree the other two are also. Levels detected of each will vary depending on the level of sensitivity of testing process so you may not get a reading that all 3 are present. ITs present In well water AND city water.
Manganese alone creates a nice dark brownish/black stain…ON EVERYTHING. When combined with Iron you get a lighter brown colored stain … ON EVERYTHING…but much darker than if the stain was just from Iron alone. It builds up inside and clogs boilers. pipes, hot water tanks. the line from your well to your home, your well tank, etc. occasionally you’ll see an oil slick floating in your water and maybe even a rotten egg smell. The treatment process varies but regardless of levels…it’s a stain you want to get rid of. (PS using bleach make the stains worse)
There are a variety of filtration methods available to get rid of this mess. Which one is right for you depends upon several factors which we can discuss. Many times this individual contamination can be combined into other filtration process so one filter can perform multiple tasks.