When you turn on your kitchen faucet, brown water is not something you would expect to see. Thus, brown or toilet water should be a concern if it suddenly pours out of your water pipes.

While nothing is alarming about discoloured water, it’s an issue you still want to resolve.

Why Is the Water Coming Out of My Taps Brown?

Water from your tap can turn brown for various reasons. The most common causes are:

Pressure change in water lines

Rust, minerals, and sediment build-up in water lines can cause brown water. Similarly, changes in the water flow pressure, water main breaks, or routine maintenance, such as flushing city water mains, can stir up these elements and make the water murky.

During this period, we suggest you avoid using your hot water system to prevent the brown water from affecting your water heater.

Old rusty water pipes

When water lines age, they often gather rusty sediments that can pour out of your tap once you turn on the faucet. This occurs during repairs when water pressure changes, causing loose rust to be blown out once the water pressure resumes.

High water demand

During drought seasons, when water demand hits the highest, the freshwater will mix with sediment and dirt from the bottom of water sources to deliver brown water.

Faulty filtration equipment

While uncommon, you might experience brown water due to a faulty water filter. In this case, you may need to repair your home’s filtration equipment to improve water quality.

Is Slightly Brown Tap Water Safe to Drink?

There is a high chance that everyone has experienced discoloured water at some point. Although slightly brown water looks and tastes unpleasant, it’s not harmful. But it’s still wise not to assume that discoloured or brown tap water is safe to drink. Instead, get some bottled drinking water if the problem continues.

In addition, the discolouration could be a sign of other potentially dangerous issues. For example, a leak from a rusty pipe could indicate that lead is present in your water supply, which can be a health hazard.

Usually, rust accumulation can corrode and damage water pipes, exposing your water supply to potential contaminants. This will eventually lead to mildew and mould growth in your home, which can cause many health complications.

How Do I Treat Brown Water?

In most cases, brown water isn’t severe and will clear quickly. So, try running your cold water tap for about twenty minutes to see if it clears. If the problem persists, call a local plumbing service to inspect your water pipes and fix the problem.

Contact Us

If you need help flushing out brown water, you can count on local plumbers at Wilco Plumbing to do a perfect job of inspecting your water pipes, pipe relining, and repairing any leaks. Book an appointment online or call us at (02) 9186 3371 for assistance.