Cloudy Water – Yuck or Yum?
Have you ever turned on the tap and watched what flowed out with a mixture of awe and “Ewww” at the same time? Awe, that water is something so freely available to us here in Canada that we sometimes take it for granted, and “Ewww” because, for whatever reason, it seems to be coming out cloudy? It happens, and there are a couple of reasons why, but the real question now is, should you drink it? When it comes to cloudy water, is it a “yuck” or a “yum” decision for you?
Cloudy water is generally caused by simply having too much air in your delivery system. This means it’s pressurized, and the tiny air bubbles accumulate en masse making it appear cloudy at first. In most situations, if you leave the water to settle for a minute or two, you’ll notice that the cloudiness dissipates, and you would never have known it was there in the first place. Pressurization is likely to occur more often when you are on a municipal water system and could be the result of work being done on the pipes (for example, if a pipe bursts), and if that’s the case, it is likely only a short-term issue.
The other reason for cloudy water will sometimes be related to hard water. Mineral deposits can accumulate, making the appearance cloudy or “milky.” It can also cause lime and scale buildup on faucets and appliances and even be of concern when it comes to doing your laundry. However, neither of these two causes (whether a broken pipe or hardness) can tell us whether cloudy water is safe to drink. So how do you determine that?
The short answer is that cloudy water is almost always ok to consume. You might choose to wait until the bubbles dissolve, but either way, drinking cloudy water is usually fine. What you might want to do, however, if it’s an ongoing concern, is to have your water tested at facilities like ours at Watermaker, who can help you to understand what you are dealing with. There are, after all, occasions when “cloudy” could, in fact, equal higher levels of sediment, bacteria, chemicals and other contaminants. So if turning on your tap regularly turns up cloudy water, you might want to consider getting it tested, while if it was a one-time-only mysterious occurrence, you likely don’t have much to worry about.
Back to our original question: Is cloudy water a yuck or a yum for you? What our customers tell us is that cloudy water is a solid “yuck!” Even if we know the cause, there is still an element of doubt present, and the truth is, there’s very little that’s appealing about quenching your thirst with a big glass of milky-looking water! Crystal clear, cold and inviting on a summer day – water is enticing. Even straight from the tap when you’ve just finished up a run, or you are committed to drinking 8 glasses a day for your health – clear water is always going to be the choice over cloudy. We can help.
There are a number of ways to ensure clear, cold and refreshing water flows from your faucets regularly. They include our EcoWater Purification System, Reverse Osmosis Systems and Whole Home Systems that will even send you alerts to your wifi connected smart device. From “at the tap” systems to whole home connections and even commercial water filtration, Watermaker has been delivering clean, clear drinking water since 1974. Speaking of delivery – we do that too! Have concerns about your cloudy water and answered “yuck” not “yum” to our question of the day? We can also deliver drinking water right to your front door. No one really wants to drink cloudy water, and the good news is – you don’t have to! Choose “Yum” instead.
