Have you ever noticed brown water spewing from your faucet while washing dishes or bathing? This brown water can be due to disturbance in the plumbing system, filtration issues, mineral buildup, or rainfall.
The change in the water clarity can happen overnight and lead to an unpleasant odor. You should figure out the cause of this discoloration so that you can know whether it is safe to use or not.
In most cases, everything turns back to normal within a few hours but seek professional treatment if the brown water does not clear up on its own.
This article will look at some common causes of this brown discoloration in the water system. Along with that, you will know a few tips to resolve the brown water problem.
7 Common Causes of Brown Water
1. Change in Water Table
Water table fluctuations can occur at any time during heavy rain or drought. These changes can be so severe that existing water treatment systems will not remove the excess minerals present inside. Water discoloration can also be due to minerals such as iron.
2. Naturally Occurring Substances
Certain bacteria strains can contaminate your water supply and cause discoloration. These iron-reducing bacteria break the iron down by oxidizing the iron in the water.
The brown discoloration in your water supply could be due to a byproduct of this process. Adding chlorine to the water to kill bacteria is a standard solution.
3. Damaged Water Pipes
Several microscopic particles get inside the tap on an everyday basis. By this, the pipes get corroded due to this mass exodus.
Over time, along with brown water, you will notice flakes and dark color particles in the water. This is also a sign of the presence of lead in the water system.
4. Mineral Buildup
There is a high probability of sediment and mineral buildup disturbance in the faucet. It can occur naturally due to construction related to water lines.
However, it is just a short-term problem. You Should not panic and have patience until clear water comes in such cases.
5. Natural Causes
Heavy rains, earthquakes, floods, and tremors are typical natural causes of brown water. Through these unfortunate events, the water system gets disturbed by the deposition of sediments at the bottom of water supply lines.
6. Filtration Issues
In some cases, a city’s water treatment facility’s filtration system malfunctions, resulting in the constant flow of brown water through the faucets. Thankfully, this is not a common occurrence, but older or outdated water treatment equipment can occur.
7. Lack of Use
A lack of use of the water system can also be an issue that leads to the sudden appearance of brown water. Particles, dirt, sediments, and other contaminants that had settled are stirred up with water now, which may be more common in older homes.
How to Get Rid of Brown Water?
1. Keep Running the Taps
At times, a small amount of rust may be stuck to the inner wall color. The color of the water may change as a result of this. Run the faucets until the water clears up.
While doing the method, you need to be patient and wait for at least twenty minutes to see if the problem still exists.
2. Clean Your Water Tank
Sometimes, brown water may cause sediment deposits and leftovers in the water tank. For this, you can scrub the interior of the tank to remove dirt, silt, and slime on the walls tank.
You can also use a bleach solution to scrub the interior of the tank and let the solution sit for some time. It is a great way to disinfect the tank By killing stubborn bacteria and contaminants.
3. Replace Pipes
If the above two methods are of no use, replacing rusty pipes is the only way to solve the problem of brown-colored water.
It is a plumber’s job and can cost a good amount of money. However, for the sake of your health, you should strive to do it sooner rather than ignoring it.
4. Call the Town or City
Because all water systems require maintenance, municipal water offices flush the lines regularly.
After a few hours, if the brown, discolored water continues to pour from all of your faucets, you should contact the municipality to inquire why my city water is brown. They should be able to answer your questions and assist you in determining the source of the problem, and they will dispatch a team to assist you.
Is it Safe to Use Brown Water?
Most people must have experienced brown water at some point of time in their life.
Washing clothes in brown water can damage the pictures of your clothes because it has too much iron content. Brown water has foul odors and an unpleasant taste, but it is not a severe health concern.
Still, it is better to avoid drinking it until you know the cause. What if it is a leak from a rusted plumbing pipe? What if it contains various forms of bacteria that can be hazardous?
Iron is present in the drinking water but in a smaller quantity. Therefore, brown water can be toxic and dangerous until you don’t know where it is coming from, as it may contain a sheer amount of impurities.
We recommend you Report to your local authorities and ask for help. Also, try to use sealed pack mineral water bottles until the brown water issue gets wholly resolved.
The Bottom Line
We hope you are clear about the causes of sudden brown water appearing from your faucets.
The discoloration might range from a mild straw-brown to a dark, muddy brown. It is also possible to detect a few brownish particles or pieces in the water.
It can be due to corrosion of service pipes, internal plumbing troubles, disturbance of established deposits, and other similar factors.
As you have seen, you have multiple options available to deal with this discoloration situation.
However, to avoid trouble or severe health conditions, hire a plumber, depending on the severity of the cause.
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