A Complete Guide To Tap Water Discoloration

A Complete Guide To Tap Water Discoloration

When we turn on a faucet in our home, we have a reasonable expectation that the water will be both clear and healthy. If you ever notice that your water is even a little discolored, that’s an immediate cause for concern. It’s a situation that needs to be resolved promptly, especially if there are children or susceptible people in the household. 

While discolored water is distasteful, you probably already realize that it can also be unhealthy. Some causes of discolored water can also damage your pipes, appliances or other parts of your plumbing system. To help you maintain a pristine water supply, whether your water is from your own well or a municipal system, we’ll look at the causes, health effects, and water-clarifying solutions you can implement.

The Most Common Causes of Discolored Water

Whether a household’s water supply comes from groundwater or surface water, it has been in constant contact with minerals and organic matter before coming out of the faucet. Healthy water has very low levels of certain metals, minerals, bacteria and other substances.

Naturally Occurring Metals and Minerals

Naturally occurring minerals like iron, manganese or copper in well water are common reasons drinking water may be discolored.

  • Iron: Iron can turn your water yellow, orange, or even reddish-brown. While it’s generally safe to drink, the water can have unpleasant tastes and odor. However, if your well has iron bacteria growing in it, you can develop more problems than just bad taste and odor. Iron bacteria produce an oily slime that clogs filters or causes well components to corrode. Iron bacteria may not be harmful to consume along with drinking water, but the idea of ingesting it is not pleasant.
  • Solution for iron bacteria: You need to disinfect your well with a chlorine agent (but don’t use household bleach). Or you can add an ozone generator to your water system.
  • Solution for high levels of iron minerals: A special kind of filter is needed to reduce iron in water. The iron in the water must first be oxidized. The iron can then be captured in a special mineral called greensand. 
  • Manganese: Manganese can add a brown or blackish color to your water. It’s not typically harmful to health but can stain household objects such as plumbing fixtures, dishes, utensils, countertops, floors and laundry items. and affect the taste and odor of your water. Water may have a metallic taste. 
  • Solution: Manganese can be treated in a similar way to iron. This means that manganese must first go through an oxidation process followed by filtration. Anion exchange, activated carbon, and reverse osmosis can also be effective in removing manganese.
  • Copper: Excessive amounts of copper in drinking water can make the water look blue or blue-green. This can cause staining of sinks and other plumbing fixtures.
  • Solution: Reverse osmosis, ion exchange, distillation or activated carbon can reduce copper to acceptable levels. 

Corroded Pipes

Homes built before the 1970s could still have metal pipes in the plumbing system, particularly pipes made from cast iron or lead. These pipes can release rust and dissolved minerals into the drinking water, resulting in a yellowish-brown or dark color.

  • Rust: Rust from corroded pipes can add a brown or yellowish color to water. Also, when there’s rust in the water, there can also be iron bacteria. The rust itself isn’t generally harmful, but no one wants to drink rusty water.
  • Solution: The process for removing rust in water is described above in the handling for removing iron or iron bacteria from drinking water. However, it is important to replace aging, corroded pipes. If a region has acidic water, corrosion will occur faster, meaning more rust may be added to your water.

    Ask your plumber or well inspector to determine if the iron is coming from your well or your plumbing. If a test of your well water shows that your well water itself is not the source of rusty minerals, then the old iron pipes must be replaced. In the meantime, use a whole-house filter to remove rust.
  • A Special Note about Lead: The dissolved lead that might get added to your drinking water is invisible, tasteless and odorless. The only way you can detect it in drinking water is with a professional water test. However, staining of sinks, toilets and tubs can provide a hint that your water contains elevated levels of lead. If you have any reason to suspect lead in the water, it’s vital to get a professional water test done. This metal is highly toxic and can cause serious health issues, including developmental problems in children and organ damage in adults.
  • Solution: If it’s coming from your pipes, you will need to replace the pipes as soon as possible. If you must filter lead out of your water, look for a filter certified to remove lead by the National Science Foundation (NSF/ANSI).

Surface Pollution Entering Your Well or Source Waters

Rainwater or flooding can wash pollution chemicals into your well or contaminate your community’s surface water. These contaminants can include motor oil, fracking residues, or agricultural or industrial chemicals.

  • Chemicals: These can change the color of your water and introduce contaminants harmful to health. You may see a yellow, orange or brownish color, cloudiness, or, in the case of oil, a rainbow sheen. The most likely health effects are gastrointestinal upsets such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Skin rashes and interference with the ability of the blood to carry oxygen are also possible. There is an increased risk of cancer, neurological harm and organ damage. 
  • Solution: For individual well owners or those with municipal water supplies, a highly effective filtration system such as reverse osmosis or activated carbon filters helps remove these contaminants.

Fecal Contamination

Fecal contamination of your drinking water can result from leaking septic tanks, feedlot runoff or leaking sewer systems. 

  • Coliform Bacteria: While coliform bacteria themselves may not cause illness, their presence indicates potential contamination by other harmful bacteria. These bacteria can cause water to be cloudy or dark and may pose significant health risks.

    Sulfur-reducing bacteria can also cause water to be blackish or brown. Other harmful bacteria that can come from fecal contamination are E. coli, fecal streptococci and enterococci.
  • Solution: Identifying and fixing the source of the contamination is crucial. Once a source like feedlot runoff has been eliminated, use a chlorine agent to disinfect the well. Ultraviolet filters can also disinfect the water on an ongoing basis.

Dirt Entering Water From Damaged Pipes or Well Components

Damaged casings, pipes or pumps can allow dirt, bacteria and other contaminants to enter the water system.

  • Dirt and Bacteria: These contaminants can turn the water an unattractive brown and make it unsafe to drink.
  • Solution: Repair the pipes, pump or well components to keep dirt and bacteria out. The system may need to be thoroughly flushed and disinfected after repair to clear out any remaining contaminants.

Sediment in Wells

Low water levels or a pump or well that needs repair can add sediment to wells. As sediment is added to drinking water, this fine material can also bring bacteria with it. 

  • Sediment: Sediment usually causes drinking water to turn brown, dirty and cloudy. Sediment from certain soils can also turn the water red, yellow or gray. 
  • Solution: Ensure that the water level in the well is being maintained at a safe level. Have the well inspected to ensure the casing and pump are in good condition. Special sediment or spin-down filters can remove the solids and may be needed if the source water routinely contains sediment.

Organic Material

Organic materials can cause water to appear yellow, brown, green or reddish.

  • Tannins: Tannins are dissolved organic materials that can give water a faint yellow color. They are generally not harmful but affect the taste and odor.
  • Solution: Use an activated carbon filter to remove tannins from the water. Anion exchange and reverse osmosis systems can also be effective.
  • Decaying Plant Matter or Peat: These materials can add a yellow or brown color to water. Heavy rainfall or a flood can leach colors out of decaying plant matter and, if the wellhead is not well sealed, add these contaminants to well water.
  • Solution: A multi-step process may be needed to remove this matter from well water. The process may start with coagulation and move on to carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, aeration or ion exchange. 
  • Algae or Phytoplankton: These can turn the water pea-soup green or reddish brown. 
  • Solution: Removing this organic material may require coagulation to form larger clumps that can be more easily removed, followed by sand filtration or activated carbon treatment. Various oxidation processes (chlorine or ozone) can also break down algae or phytoplankton. 

Air in the Water

Air bubbles trapped in water can make it appear milky white or cloudy. Just give the glass of water a few minutes to sit and the air will dissipate.

Health Damage Possible from These Discoloring Contaminants

It is important to realize that while a few of these contaminants causing water discoloration are harmless, many can have serious health effects. Never assume that water discoloration is unimportant. It’s vital to have the water tested as soon as possible to find out exactly what unwanted components are present in your well or municipal water supply. 

Metals

  • Lead: This might be the most dangerous of all contaminants. Lead is highly toxic and can cause developmental, hearing or cognitive problems in children. In adults, it can increase blood pressure and risk of heart disease, and cause kidney damage or neurological problems.
  • Copper: Excessive copper can lead to gastrointestinal distress and headaches. Long-term, copper can cause liver and kidney damage or anemia. People with Wilson’s or Menke’s disease are even more susceptible to copper toxicity. 

Bacteria

  • Coliform Bacteria: The presence of coliform bacteria can indicate contamination by other harmful bacteria, leading to infections and gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps. 
  • E. Coli: There are many different strains of E. coli, some of which are harmless. Other strains can cause bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain. The most serious complications include kidney failure and seizures. 
  • Iron Bacteria: While not harmful themselves, the presence of iron bacteria can indicate other issues in your plumbing system that may affect water quality and cause harm to your health.

Chemicals

  • Pesticides and Other Industrial or Agricultural Chemicals: Exposure to these chemicals can have severely damaging short-term and long-term health effects. There are thousands of these chemicals contaminating soil, air, groundwater and surface water and their effects vary greatly.

    Short-term effects can include difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, headaches, confusion and seizures. Long-term effects include birth defects, infertility, stillbirth, neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease and developmental delays in children. Cancers and immune system suppression are also long-term effects of exposure to these chemicals. 

Household Impacts of Discolored Water

It’s not just the taste or odor of your water that may be impacted by contaminants in your water. There can also be damaging effects around your household. 

Staining: Iron, copper and manganese can stain laundry, fixtures, and appliances with reddish, blackish or bluish stains. Even low concentrations can cause significant staining.

Plumbing Damage: High levels of certain minerals in your water can gradually build up in your pipes and appliances and require costly repairs.

Even if your drinking water does not appear to be discolored, pay attention to staining or plumbing damage that shows up. You could have low levels of water contamination that, over time, can impact your health. Get your water tested as soon as you see any of these signs so you can prevent the kind of health problems these contaminants can cause. 

Actions to Take When There Are Signs of Discolored Water

You will need to know what minerals, chemicals or bacteria are present so you can track down the source of contamination. Get your water professionally tested. The results of this test will help you determine if well repair or filtration is needed to clean up your drinking water. Only a professional water test will give you the guidance you need to clean up your water. Knowing what is in your water before you invest in repair or filtration is a very smart move.

When you need a fast, accurate test of your water, contact ETR Laboratories. We have completed tens of thousands of water tests for homeowners, real estate agents, municipalities and industries that rely on pure water. Choose from our most popular water tests when you need to know exactly what’s in your water.