This is usually a sign of changes in your home or workplace's water source or filtration system. If you find yourself with discolored water at home or in the office, it's likely a result of an excess presence of natural minerals like iron or manganese in your water supply.
If you have brown well water, the cause might be similar to instances of yellow water. The most common reason for brown water in the toilet or from your taps is a high iron or manganese concentration in the water supply.
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.
No, it should not pose any danger to bathe in it.
Iron and manganese are not a health risk but can cause discoloration; this is normally temporary and disappears after the system is flushed, either in the system or your own home. The city does not recommend drinking tap water if it is discolored due to aesthetic reasons, i.e. it won't taste, smell or look good.
Bathing or showering in yellow water is typically safe, although unappealing. If you're unsure, it's always a good idea to check with your trusted local plumbing team. Plumbers can run tests on your water supply to quickly determine the source of the issue.
If rust is the cause of discolouration, simply flushing your pipes can often clear it. Get water tested – If the yellow hue persists even after running the water, it's time to contact your local water company and ask for a water quality test.
High levels of iron and other organic debris are often unpleasant but not particularly harmful. If you're concerned for your health, the thing to do is buy an essential water test. Getting rid of it! If you run all your taps for 15 minutes and the brown hasn't gone away then you may have a bigger problem.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tannins Could Turn Your Well Water Brown
You may also have tannins that have infiltrated your well water, turning it brown. There are a variety of sources of tannins, but they usually come from decayed organic material. A few examples include leaves and peaty soil.
Brown, yellow, or orange water is a sign that minerals, rust, or sediments have found their way into your water. It's unappealing and unsatisfying to use or drink. If you suddenly see discolored water flowing out of your faucets, then you should hire a professional to get to the bottom of the cause.
The Color Stays, Even After You Run a Cold Faucet
It may take a few hours for the discoloration to clear. Check to see if the water has cleared by running a cold water faucet for two minutes. If it does not clear, turn the water off and wait another 30 minutes before running it again.
Odds are there is sediment in your water heater tank. To clear things out, drain and flush the tank, let it refill and heat up, then test the water again. If it's still discolored, it's time to call a plumber to take a look. This is a sign that the contamination is coming from the main water supply.
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 system pipe.
After running your tap for a few minutes, clean water from your water heater or water main will replace the discolored water. Since iron is an essential nutrient, this condition poses no health hazard. If the discoloration bothers you, however, flush the tap until the water becomes clear.
Most of the time, yellow, orange, or reddish brown tap water is still safe to drink and bathe in, it just might not appear too appealing.
The sacrificial anode rod in your water heater is designed to attract corrosive elements and protect the tank from rust and other damage. Over time, however, the anode rod can corrode and release iron and other contaminants into the water, causing yellow discoloration.
Brown water can spring from various sources, such as rusted pipes, your trusty water heater acting up, or even a simple shift in water pressure.
If you find yourself with discolored water at home or in the office, it's likely a result of an excess presence of natural minerals like iron or manganese in your water supply. Because these minerals are denser than water, they can accumulate in pipes during periods of low use.
Iron bacteria are not known to cause disease. Howevegr, they can create conditions where other disease-causing organisms may grow. They can also affect how much water the well produces and may cause clogging issues. To be safe, test the water for nitrate and coliform bacteria.
Flush cold water.
Run all cold-water faucets on the property beginning with the faucet closest to the water line. Let all run at the highest flow (or fully open) until water is clear and temperature is constant. Then turn off all faucets in reverse order.