 Why Drinking Water Can Turn Brown...
By Contractor Daniel
April 7, 2010
One of the most common reasons that drinking water
turns brown is from a surplus of iron in the water
supply. Iron is a common element found in soil,
and it is acceptable in small amounts in drinking
water.
In fact, water provides five to ten percent of
the recommended daily intake for iron recommended
by doctors and nutritionists.
If you're really thirsty, go ahead and drink the
brown water. It won't hurt you. In fact, it might
help you get some much needed iron.
However, brown water is incredibly unsightly.
Plus, its metallic taste is off-putting and can
be hard to swallow.
But how does iron find its way into your drinking
water? Surely, soil isn't seeping into the water,
so then what is it? As a matter of fact, if you
live near a well, it is quite possible that soil
or dirt has found its way into your water in a
higher concentration than usual. If this is the
case, running cold water for fifteen to thirty
minutes should solve the problem.
Your water could
also be tainted by dislodged rust from water pipes.
When pipes are repaired by the city (or your plumber)
old rust can break loose and get into your water.
But if your water is from city pipes, call your
town's water department and lodge a complaint.
They will open up a nearby fire hydrant, and the
brown water will be flushed out of the system.
If these solutions are ineffective, you will need
to investigate your water more carefully. You can
call a water specialist to take a sample. The specialist
will then recommend any number of treatment plans,
from aeration to chlorination, depending on the
exact make-up of your water.
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