How to fix brown water from a faucet?

Author: Marilie King DVM  |  Last update: Tuesday, July 8, 2025

How to Try to Get Rid of Brown Water
  1. Run the cold water from your tap for about 20 minutes. ...
  2. If the water clears but still has bits of brown water, you will need to consider a water filter system and/or water softener. ...
  3. If your water is still brown, check with your neighbors if they are having the same issue.

How do you clear brown tap water?

Flush your hot water heater if needed, inspect your piping, clean your aerators on your faucets and then try flushing your cold water for 5 minutes and it should clear up the discolored water.

Why is the water coming out of my tap brown?

Brown, black or orange coloured water is normally caused by the disturbance of sediments from older pipes in the network. When the sediments are disturbed, the water can be discoloured or contain particles, until this is allowed to settle out again. Examples of when this might happen include: A burst on a water main.

Is it safe to drink tap water that is brown?

Yellow or brown water is almost always indicative of iron corrosion, or iron oxide (rust) from ageing iron pipes. It is not dangerous, but your water should have no discoloration for it to be considered potable.

How do you change brown water to clear?

WSSC suggests running all COLD water taps for about five minutes or until the water runs clear. Begin with the lowest faucet in your home or business and then open the other faucets one at a time, moving from your lowest floor to your highest.

Fix Dirty Brown Water Coming from Faucet

How to fix brown water coming out of a faucet?

How to Try to Get Rid of Brown Water
  1. Run the cold water from your tap for about 20 minutes. ...
  2. If the water clears but still has bits of brown water, you will need to consider a water filter system and/or water softener. ...
  3. If your water is still brown, check with your neighbors if they are having the same issue.

Will brown water go away on its own?

The water should clear on its own. Try running the cold water for a few minutes to see if it is clearing or still discolored. If the water does not clear, let the water sit for an hour. Then run the water for a few minutes and flush the toilet a couple of times.

Is it OK to shower in brown water?

While the water may not be harmful in small doses, it's generally recommended that you avoid drinking or cooking with it until the issue is resolved. Bathing in brown water is usually safe for your body, but it might irritate sensitive skin.

How do you purify brown water?

Boiling is the best way to kill disease-causing organisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. The high temperature and time spent boiling are very important to effectively kill the organisms in the water. Boiling will also effectively treat water if it is still cloudy or murky.

Why did my water turn brown all of a sudden?

First, let's explore the reasons why your water turned brown. The most common reason is that iron or rust was moved down the pipe due to construction, a surge in water flow from a hydrant, or a main break. Typically when the repair is made, or the extra water stops flowing, your water returns to normal.

What to do if your tap water is dirty?

To clear the discoloured water, run the cold water tap nearest to your internal stop tap. Run the water on a thin flow, about the width of a pencil, for about 20 minutes. If this doesn't work, turn the tap off, wait 20 minutes and try again.

Why is brown sludge coming out of my faucet?

Brown water coming out of your kitchen, bathroom, or shower faucets is usually caused by a buildup of iron oxide, or rust, which is accumulating somewhere in your plumbing system.

Why is my cold water brown but hot water clear?

Brown Water from the Cold Tap: However, if the hot water is clear and it's the cold water tap that is pouring out brown water, it could be an issue with the supply pipes.

How long does it take to fix brown water?

Typically these problems clear up within a couple of hours, but can take as long as several days to return to normal.

How do you make tap water crystal clear?

Reverse osmosis systems are effective at removing a variety of contaminants, including salts, bacteria, viruses, cysts, and chemicals. This results in water that is not only safe to drink but often tastes better due to the removal of impurities that can cause taste and odor issues.

How to flush brown water?

Discolored Water/Flushing Guide
  1. Begin with the SINK faucet on the lowest floor of your home or business.
  2. SLOWLY open the COLD water SINK faucet. ...
  3. Repeat this process on each floor, moving from the lowest to highest, only opening the COLD water SINK faucets.
  4. You should also flush your refrigerator's water lines.

Is brown tap water OK?

Is it safe to drink? If your water suddenly looks orange or brown, run your tap for a few minutes to see if it returns to a clear colour. If this doesn't work, contact us on 1800 278 278 and we'll investigate it. You shouldn't drink the water until we have looked into it.

How to naturally purify tap water?

Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute is the simplest way to kill most types of germs, even if the water is cloudy and at high altitudes. If water is cloudy, allow it to settle and filter through a clean cloth or coffee filter before boiling.

Will boiling brown water make it clear?

Boiling water will not clean water or remove silt or sediment that makes water cloudy. It will only kill pathogens.

How to make brown water clear?

You can eliminate brown water from your home for good by running cold water from your tap for at least 20 minutes. If the water is still brown after this, contact your city's utility provider and request that they flush out the brown water with a fire hydrant. If the problem persists after this, call the professionals.

Is brown water from faucet safe?

It is best not to assume that brown or other discoloured tap water is safe to drink. While brown tap water is usually not poisonous or severely harmful, it can have an unpleasant taste, smell bad and aesthetically not look very appealing.

How to clear up brown well water?

After installing a water filter, all it should take to turn brown well water clear again is to let it run for a few hours. There's probably dirt and rust buildup in your pressure tank and water heater.

Why is my tap water suddenly brown?

If you notice a sudden change from clear water to murky, brown tap water, it is most likely because of a pressure change in your city's water lines. Typically, these issues resolve themselves within a couple of hours, and it's nothing to be concerned about.

How to flush a hot water system?

It really is as simple as following these 7 easy steps:
  1. Turn the system off. ...
  2. Turn off the water valve. ...
  3. Let it all cool down. ...
  4. Attach a hose. ...
  5. Turn on a tap. ...
  6. Turn on the drain valve. ...
  7. Finish the job.

Why is the water coming out of my faucet rusty?

Sudden Rusty Water from All Faucets (Hot & Cold)

A sudden change in water color often signals utility company maintenance or a nearby water main break. When water mains are repaired or fire hydrants are used, sediment can be stirred up, leading to temporary discoloration.

Previous article
Is a tankless water heater good for a whole house?
Next article
How do you remove white film from stainless steel?