Ugly Water

In western North Carolina, common causes of ugly (discolored) water are iron (rust coloring), tannins (tea-like coloring), turbidity (cloudiness), air (milky), and low pH (turquoise or bluish/greenish colored), particularly in well water and spring water systems, but sometimes on city water, too.

Let's start with iron. We see a lot of it, and it can get pretty ugly. Ferric (precipitated) iron particles oxidize in water, causing a "rust" like color to the water. In our Asheville office, we offer complimentary testing to determine the type of iron (ferric and/or ferrous), the size of the iron particles, and how much (quantity) of iron is present (parts per million).

Tannins in water are less common but we see it on occasion, namely when there's a crack in the well casing (surface intrusion) on well water systems, and more often on spring-fed water systems. Typically, the water will look like tea, due to the presence of organic matter in the water. If you suspect tannins may be present in your water, we recommend having a state-certified lab test a sample of your water.

Turbidity is typically caused when a water source gets stirred up. This was the case with Hurricane Helene and the municipal water supply (see our blog post "Yikes! My city water is MURKY!"). If your water looks cloudy, you may want to have your water tested by a certified lab.

On occasion, we receive complaints of milky or particularly bubbly water. This is typically caused by air in the plumbing. It may take some investigation but, if you encounter this issue and you have a filtration system, feel free to contact us.

Low pH (acidic) water can cause water to appear bluish or greenish. This is the result of copper and/or brass corrosion. It's important to address this issue because, eventually, pinholes can form and water leaks can happen, resulting in potential flooding.

If your water is ugly, or you have any concerns with your water quality, please contact us and we'll help you solve the problem! Clean, clear, great tasting water is our goal and we're here for you... please don't hesitate!