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Tips for Figuring Out Why Your Water Is Discolored

The summer season is officially upon us and that means fun in the sun with friends and family. Most of the activities on your family activity list this summer probably have something to do with camping, boating, or being in the summing pool.

In addition to keeping your body temperature down and cool, it is important to drink enough water and stay hydrated. The summer season is a time when children especially can fall victim to dehydration because they get pre-occupied with running and playing.

But, dehydration is no joke and it is important to avoid it at all costs. However, when you step up to your kitchen sink to fill up those water bottles before you head outside – what do you do if the water that comes out is brown!?

This can be a very alarming sight and can make you worried about drinking the water at all. Nothing to worry about though – here are a couple of reasons that your water might be discolored:

  • If you live in an older home, the plumbing pipes might be steel or even galvanized. In this situation, the pipes could be getting corroded and developing rust spots. When flakes of rust come off of the pipes and into the stream of water – the iron in the rust will react with the oxygen in the water and turn the water brown.
  • Having a water softening system can be great for removing the minerals from your water supply that might be causing dry and itchy skin for you and your family members. But, if the system is not properly maintained, the softening agent can build up in the form of resin balls and create a discoloration in the water.
  • Having a heavy buildup of magnesium in your water supply can cause the water to turn colors. If you notice that the water coming out of your faucet or plumbing fixture is a blackish color, go and check the toilet bowl. If the water there is black also, then you definitely have a high content of magnesium in your water supply.

A discolored water supply can be a little disturbing but, each of these reasons is non-harmful to you and your family. However, you should still call for a professional inspection of your plumbing system as you need to confirm the cause … before you can assume that it is non-threatening.

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