7 Reasons Your Water Looks Cloudy
Does cloudy tap water fill your glass when you pour yourself a glass of water? If so, you may be wondering, why is my tap water cloudy and is it safe to drink? In many instances, the water seems to quickly return to a normal state, but any faith in the quality of the water is shaken and may take some time to return. What causes these phenomena and are they something to be concerned about?
There are a few reasons for cloudy tap water and they range from completely harmless to outright dangerous. But fear not, in just a few minutes you’ll become an expert in the field of cloudy tap water.
What Causes Cloudy Tap Water?
Cloudy tap water can be caused by one of the following 7 reasons. For cloudy tap water from city pipes, the first 3 causes apply. While if you get your water from a well, the first six causes could be responsible for cloudy tap water:
Air Bubbles
Hard Water
Sediments
Methane Gas
Well Residue
Excess Surface Water
Pressurized Water
Reason #1: Air Bubbles
Fill up a glass of water, let it rest on the counter, and observe. If in a couple of minutes the water clears, from the bottom to the top (just like the photo above) you most likely have air bubbles in your water. Now there are a few reasons on how air bubbles can get into your tap water:
Trapped air in your pipes
Recent plumbing work
Increased water pressure in pipes
As water gets pulled into your pipes and put under pressure, this can put air into it. This makes cloudy tap water in this situation harmless and requires no further action. It is also likely that the air bubbles are temporary and should be gone in a matter of time.
The Role of Temperature in Bubbles
For many people, cloudy or fizzy tap water is something that occurs during colder months of the year. In some homes, extremely cold temperatures can change the solubility of the water in the pipes as the external temperature drops. Colder water can hold more air, the pipes in your may not be heating the water up to a normal temperature, and this causes the air to be released as tiny bubbles. This is why there may be bubbles in the water when you turn on the tap.
Reason #2: Hard Water
Signs you have hard water:
Cloudy tap water does not clear
Visible white spots on glasses and dishes after washing
White mineral deposit builds up on water appliances over time
Hard water is water that contains a high amount of dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. This happens while rainwater is traveling to a water source like a river or lake and picks up minerals from the terrain along the way. How hard or soft your water is depends on where you live.
Should you worry about hard water?
There have been a few studies that have linked excess dissolved minerals to cardiovascular disease in men. But these studies are weak and can not be taken seriously. The problem most people have with hard water is usually aesthetic (i.e taste, stains left on clothing, plumbing or appliances). However, if you value your health and the water you drink, you should consider the health consequences of the invisible contaminants that are also found in your water: synthetic estrogen, pharmaceuticals, herbicides, pesticides, fluoride, and lead.
The good news is that the best way to get rid of the cloudy tap water and these invisible contaminants is to get yourself a quality water filter. For example, reverse osmosis filters ALL fluoride from tap water. Which means it’ll also remove everything else including cloudy tap water.
Reason #3: Sediment
Signs you have a high concentration of sediment in your water:
Water does not settle by itself but becomes clear after passing through a water filter
There has been construction near your municipal water supply
Water may look dirty or as if things are floating around
This is another common cause of cloudy tap water. Unlike air bubbles, cloudy tap water does not clear if it is high in sediment. The way this is measured is with “TSS” which stands for is total suspended solids and refers to small solids that float around in your water but never settle. Some of these solids include: algae, iron, clay, manganese, sediment, and silt. This can be caused by runoff into the water supply or disturbances to the municipal water supply (i.e construction, major storms or drilling). One risk associated with high concentrations of TSS is that high concentrations could lead to bacteria growth.
How to get rid of sediment in water:
A problem more associated with well water, bacteria can accompany the high concentration of sediments. You could boil your water to remove bacteria, but for the same reasons why boiling water does not remove fluoride, you’ll be unable to remove sediment and any other contaminants from your water. Thus just like with hard water, your only option is to install a filter that would filter water as it comes into your home. However, only specific filters can remove bacteria from water—with the main treatment method being ultraviolet light. This means, not only will bacteria be removed but so too will high concentration of TSS that cause cloudy tap water.
Reason #4: Methane Gas
Signs you have methane gas in your tap water:
You use well water
Water sputters from the faucet
White air bubbles in the water
Methane gas naturally occurs in well water. Now the tricky thing is methane is colorless, odourless and tasteless. However, according to the U.S Department of Interior, these are the guidelines you should follow when it comes to methane gas in drinking water:
Below 10 mg/L is considered safe
Between 10mg/L and 28 mg/L should be regularly monitored
Over 28 mg/L requires immediate action
Now instead of getting a plumber to come in and paying him a pretty penny to figure out whether methane gas is the cause or not (recommended option) you can do a little experiment. Fill an empty jug halfway with the suspected water, close the lid and put it aside for an hour, allowing any gas to rise to the top. When you open the lid, light and hover a match above the jug. Now since methane is flammable, the flame of the match will flare up if you have methane in your water.
How to get rid of methane gas:
This is the most unlikely cause of cloudy tap water and there should be no need to worry. The cause of your cloudy tap water most likely came from any of the other 5 causes. However, if you do think you may have methane gas in your water, you’ll first want to get your water tested for methane gas levels to see where you fall within the guidelines.
Reason #5: Well Residue
Well water is groundwater that is untreated. Well drillers drill down to the aquifer, which is an underground layer of permeable rock containing water. Then, a pump system is installed to carry the water up from the ground and into your home. It isn't hard to find drinkable groundwater.
Cloudy well water that clears from the bottom-up, is a result of air bubbles. However, cloudy well water that clears from top-down, can be a result of well residue. This can indicate the presence of dirt, rust, or silt residue in your system. If these impurities are present in your water source they will be pumped alongside the water through your pipes and out of your tap.
How to get rid of well residue:
To solve this issue you can under-go a full well rehabilitation, however this is expensive and won’t provide you with complete peace of mind when it comes to the water you drink. As there are many other factors that play a role in water quality.
Reason #6: Excess Surface Water
Did your water suddenly become cloudy after a large rainfall?
This could be a sign that surface water is leaking into your well. A very serious issue considering toxic chemicals, bacteria, and other contaminants can accompany surface water into your water source.
But how does this happen? This can happen as a result of your well not being probably sealed.
How to deal with excess surface water:
Excess surface water should not be entering your well. However, problems with the well casing can result in contaminants and less desirable water from entering and mixing with your drinking water. Now the only way to truly know is to get a professional to conduct a check-up and then fix the well casing if that’s the issue.
Reason #7: Pressurized Water
Water usually becomes pressurized when air is introduced to the water supply via holes and leaks in the water pipes. The air is actually sucked into the water, once captured the water retains the air, and the water turns cloudy. Once the water is drawn from the tap, the air is allowed to escape, and the water returns to its normal color. This explains perfectly how the water can initially appear to be cloudy or even milky in appearance one moment and look fine a few moments later.
The Health Risks of Pressurized Water
By itself, pressurized water doesn’t really represent any real health risk for the water consumer. The introduction of air and its subsequent release is nothing to be too concerned about, but there are other more serious ramifications. As we mentioned above the water can only become pressurized when air is introduced into the water supply via a hole in the pipes. The obvious implication here is that you may have one or more holes in your pipes that need to be repaired. A leak in your water pipes could be a vector for contaminants to enter the water supplied to your home. Also over time, the leak may get worse resulting in a more expensive repair or water damage that is costly to repair.