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Brown or yellow discoloration could occur because of deposits of manganese or iron, which are naturally occurring minerals. Over time, they’ll settle at the bottom of the water mains and not bother you, but sometimes if there’s a burst pipe or a rush of water, the sediment will be disturbed and will come through the taps. It’s unlikely that the brown water will be harmful, but it is certainly not pleasant and the cause needs to be found and rectified as soon as possible.
Alternatively, if brown water is only coming out through the hot water taps, it could mean you have a problem with corrosion in the hot water system. In which case, you will need to call a plumber.
If you notice discoloration in your tap water, Dr Alex Murdoch advises, “Supply incidents including water quality issues can be reported to your network owner directly; it is their responsibility to ensure the water supplied to your property meets the relevant standards. However, if the issue is within the property boundary, it is the customer’s responsibility to resolve.”
You can contact your water network owner directly using the contact details provided here. Alternatively you can use our live webchat at castlewater.co.uk to report issues with your water supply to one of our advisors.
Don’t forget, you can use our free Water Efficiency Guide to start saving water and money in your business. You can find more tools to improve your business water efficiency here. Our professional network or specialist partners can help your business with Additional Water Management Services including Emergency Water Supply and Water Efficiency Audits.
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If your water looks blue or green, it could be caused by higher than usual levels of copper. This is likely to happen if you have recently had copper pipes fitted and will stop happening after a few days. On the other hand, if your copper pipes are old, the discoloration could be caused by corrosion, in which case you will need to get the pipes replaced.
An alternative reason is that one or more of your toilet cisterns could have been poorly installed allowing the water to drain back into your water supply. If you use a blue or green toilet cleaning tablet that you drop into the tank and your tap water is a similar colour, this will be the reason. Do not use the tap water for drinking until the problem has been fixed by a plumber.
If your tap water is cloudy, the cause will probably be trapped air bubbles. They cause no harm and will gradually disappear. If you fill a glass with water, you’ll notice the water becoming clearer from the bottom upwards. It is likely that the air bubbles were caused by trapped air getting into the water supply if repairs were carried out, so over time the problem will sort itself out.
Discoloration can be caused by tiny particles such as white limescale, or it can be caused by old washers that are beginning to disintegrate. If old washers are the issue, change them, then run the taps until the water runs clear.
If your water leaves a slimy or mouldy residue on your surfaces, it could be caused by mould spores in the atmosphere. The spores feed on soaps and cleaning products, and they are often found in areas with limescale. The problem is external, and the tap water itself isn’t affected.