You can still shower with it, though it might not be a pleasant experience, but pick up some bottled water for drinking if the problem persists. If brown water doesn't clear up in a few hours, that's now a problem beyond a minor inconvenience. You most likely have a leak from a rusted plumbing pipe.
You can remedy brown toilet water by flushing the toilet a few times, unclogging blocked pipes, increasing your toilet's flush power, or installing a water treatment system to remove contaminants causing brown discoloration.
The most common reason for residential brown water coming out homeowner's tap is from damaged or recently replaced water pipes. Brown water happens because rust becomes dislodged from the water pipes and finds it's way into your home water supply. The pressure in the pipes change during repairs.
Typically these problems clear up within a couple of hours, but can take as long as several days to return to normal. In temporary situations like this we recommend not using hot water at all if possible, to keep the discolored water from being drawn into your water heater.
The brown is from too much iron in the water from the rust. Iron is already present in the drinking water and is not poisonous. However, that does not mean it is okay to guzzle the brown tap water.
Can I Drink Brown Tap Water? 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.
Disturbance in Minerals
One of the most common reasons why the water in your home has turned brown is that there has been a disturbance in the minerals or sediment in your water. Minerals and sediment are naturally occurring in water and in pipes.
Brown, yellow or red water: These colors indicate rust in your pipes. The problem may only be with your hot water heater (hopefully!) or it may be with the pipes throughout your home (ouch!). Thankfully, a common solution to rusty pipes is to install a water softener or filtration system in your home.
Sediment Filtration
Sediment filters have pores ranging from 1 to 5 microns in diameter. This is big enough to let water pass through while blocking the entry of rust, sand, and dirt. In some homes, this is all that is needed to make the water clear and clean again.
Is The Water In The Toilet Dirty? The water in your toilet bowl is actually clean. Sure, it is full of bacteria, but that is because it contains sewage—which, by definition, is wastewater that contains human waste. However, the water itself is relatively clean and poses no health risk.
Usually it's because of iron and manganese deposits. These are naturally-occurring minerals which settle in the water mains over time. This is nothing to worry about. It's just sediment that normally settles to the bottom of the water pipes and doesn't get into your home.
In most cases, the discoloration is due to rust in the pipes and is not a health hazard. If the problem persists after following these steps, call a professional plumber. They will be able to help you locate and repair the source of the problem.
If you water has been off for a period of time it is possible that rust and debris can cause the discoloration. The good thing is, the color of the water will get back to normal in no time. Rust in the plumbing can cause the brown color.
How do you filter out brown water? Depending on the cause, you can filter our brown water by installing a sediment or iron filter, using a water softener, or replacing rusted pipes and hot water heaters.
Your water might be affected by iron, which is a commonly-occurring constituent of drinking water. Iron tends to add a rusty, reddish-brown (or sometimes yellow) color to water. If the color is more black than red, your water might contain a combination of iron and manganese.
Rusted pipes are the most common reason for brown water in your toilet. Other issues such as polluted municipal city water supply or even corroded wells can also turn toilet water brown. First, test your water. Try soaking your toilet bowl with white vinegar, Use a water filter system or get professional help.
When your water heater hasn't had regular maintenance, mineral sediments will coat the bottom of your tank. Although not dangerous to your health, these minerals can turn the hot water from clear to reddish-brown. Excess sediment can also impact the life cycle of your hot water heater and increase your energy bill.
In most cases, this is a sign that there is rust or corrosion in your pipes close to those faucets. Try running the water for 10-20 minutes to see if it clears up, which would be the case if a small amount of rust broke off from inside the pipe. Odds are there is sediment in your water heater tank.
This is common when there is a sudden change in the flow of water in the pipeline. Discolored water comes from internal pipe rust and sediment getting stirred up. When this happens the water is still safe. However, the water may be unappealing, so we recommend that you wait until it clears before drinking it.
Flush ALL hot water taps for 15 minutes
Open ALL hot water sink fixtures, hot water bathtub or shower fixtures. Next, open all other hot water fixtures, such as in kitchens, wet bars, etc. Run all of these hot water fixtures for 15 minutes, then shut the water off.
If you're wondering if rusty-colored water is safe to bathe in, the answer is usually yes. A slight discoloration in water does not indicate a health risk. Additionally, if your rusty tap water is hard, it may be bad for your hair.
The yellow color results from corrosion or contamination, as highlighted above, which means that colored water likely contains particles and substances that can be detrimental to your skin. The yellow color also indicates increased iron levels, which can irritate and dry out the skin if used for bathing.
If the clog still seems to be intact, start over at step 1 and repeat the process a couple of times. For extra-stubborn clogs, you can let the fizz mixture sit overnight or combine this method with plunging.