Natural and artificial factors cause water discoloration. It is one of the most frequent water contaminations that brings fear to the mind of users, whereas it’s a minor thing. It’s not a problem that causes harm to the health of those who use this type of water. Water discoloration is a result of different occurrences that comes from different avenues.
Why Did My Tap Water Turn Yellow?
Your tap water may turn yellow due to natural and chemical reactions (artificial). It depends on the pipeline materials used to run the course of the water, the situation of the water source, and the natural plants that leach or lose their color into the water. Here are detailed explanations as to why your water turns yellow.
- Pipeline Material
The type of pipes that aids the transport of water in your homes or place of work is an important factor that determines the rate at which your water turns yellow. There are lots of pipeline materials used to run water in various homes and for external use, like copper pipes, galvanized steel, Iron, stainless steel, carbon steel, brass pipes, PVC, CPVC, aluminum pipes, lead pipes, etc.
Some of these pipes cause tap water to turn yellow due to the chemical reaction between water and the pipe material. For example, Iron reacts with water and oxygen to form hydrated iron(iii)oxide, forming rust. Iron is a material that erodes on exposure to water and air. If Iron serves as your pipeline material, there’s a very high possibility that rust comes out with the water flow to make your tap water yellow. Rusty scales are likely to come out with it too.
Another material that corrodes quickly on exposure to water and air is galvanized steel.
The preferred pipeline materials useful for your plumbing are;
- Aluminum (It doesn’t rust or corrode because of the aluminum oxide protective layer. Here, the metal below the protective layer can’t come in contact with the water)
- Copper (It is heat tolerant and corrosion-resistant)
- Stainless Steel
- Brass Pipes
- CPVC
2. Dissolved Organic Materials
Sediments that occur naturally like tannins and lignin, debris, hummus, decayed matter, and so on, can make the water discolored. An increase in water flow pressure can disturb the dirt, making them mix with the water and lose its color into the water, and this causes the water to appear yellowish or brownish.
3. The situation of Water Source
Water discoloration could also be a side effect of where the water source is situated. If a water source is situated close to where trees are grown, there’s a high chance of natural sediments from tree roots getting loose and running off into the source that supplies a well, water causing a yellow discoloration.
How To Stop Tap Water From Turning Yellow
Here are a few steps which you can stop the discoloration of water.
Step 1
After noticing the discoloration, try to determine the cause of the color change.
Step 2
Leave the tap open to run for a while until the water color changes. This indicates a rusty pipe.
Step 3
Filter the water for the meantime and use. To be on the safer side, do not consume.
Step 4
Contact a plumbing company to check the pipes and change them to better ones that are resistant to corrosion, like aluminum pipes, CPVC, stainless steel, or copper pipes.
Step 5
If it isn’t due to rusted pipes and attributed to the water source, contact a professional on which water filtration and purifying system best suits the problem.