Quick Reference Guide for Common Water Quality Issues:

Common Water Quality Issues

Issue	Possible Cause	Solution
Cloudy / Milky Colored Water	Air-saturated water in customer lines contacts Air-saturated water in distribution lines	Aerator needs to be cleaned or replaced - flush lines for a short time only Contact US
Black Floating Particles	Bad internal supply line (often braided stainless steel lines) Deterioration of toilet flapper valve	Change supply line Replace flapper valve
Black Particles	Internally activated in-line charcoal filter	By-pass filter and call a service company
White Floating Particles	Deteriorating water heater dip tube	Service water heater
Brown particles are uniform in size	Resin from the water softener	Service water softener
Rust	Bad internal supply line (often galvanized lines) Water main break	Flush internal lines Contact Us
White or Light colored sediment	Hard water (calcium carbonate will precipitate when heated or frozen)	Flush water heater regularly, every 6 months, to remove loose calcium carbonate.
Sand	Calcium buildup in water heater Water softener malfunction Water main break	Flush water heater Service water softener Contact Us
Low Pressure	Multiple factors can cause low pressure.	See our Quick Reference Guide for Common Water Pressure Issues page for a complete list of possible causes and solutions.
Taste	Internal plumbing work	Flush internal water lines
Odor	Odor coming from sink drain	Contact Sewage Provider/Septic Company