Cloudy Tap Water: What It Means & What to Do About it

Water that comes out of your tap should be clear. The water has been run through your municipal water provider’s filtering system, which has removed a good portion of the contaminants and sediments that can cause water to appear cloudy.

But various things can happen to water between the time it leaves the water supply and ends up in your home. Atlantic Coast Water Clinic of South Florida would like to share the most likely reasons for cloudy tap water.

Hard water

“Hard” water is caused by high levels of calcium, magnesium and other minerals. Often, you can see the cloudy effect in your water, and you can always taste the heavy, almost stale taste when you drink it. While typically not harmful to people, hard water is known for leaving spots on dishes and cookware and adding buildup to faucets and water pipes.

A water softener is the solution for this problem.

Excess air in the water

High water pressure will add a large amount of bubbles to tap water. This is what causes its hazy appearance. Excess air and water pressure won’t make the water in any way harmful and won’t affect its taste, but it could lead to a lot of wasted water going down the drains and higher water bills.

This may be a temporary problem. If it doesn’t resolve on its own, a plumber can add a valve to reduce water pressure and clear up the cloudiness.

Sediment buildup

More common to heated water than cold water, sediment buildup can create a murky, hazy appearance that doesn’t dissipate as the water sits. The most common source is sediment or calcium carbonate in a hot water heater.

Flush your hot water heater regularly to clear out the sediment. The buildup in your water isn’t generally harmful to people but can cause damage to the water heater and pipes. A quality whole-house water filtering system will keep the sediment from entering the hot water heater.

Methane gas

This isn’t a widespread problem in most areas of the county. Methane gas is often found in water supplies that are near sites where fracking is taking place. Contaminated groundwater can also lead to this issue. If there’s methane gas in your water, the cloudiness will dissipate quickly. If it remains, the problem is something else.

A water purification system will remove the methane gas and clear up your water.

Concentration of solids

Common sources of solids include sand, clay and silt. Cow manure is a major source of solids in regions where farming and ranching are prevalent. These impurities don’t break down completely when processed by a municipal water supply and can lead to water’s cloudy appearance.

The best way to combat this problem is with a water filtering system, preferably one that works by reverse osmosis.

Cold weather

Very cold weather can make water cloudy by increasing the solubility of air in it. This isn’t a problem that we usually face in Florida, but it’s an ongoing problem for a lot of folks living in cold-weather parts of the country.

Clean up your water

Atlantic Coast Water Clinic sells, installs and services top-quality reverse-osmosis water filtration systems throughout Port St. Lucie, FL, Fort Pierce, FL, Hobe Sound, FL, and other South Florida communities. We know how to solve the cloudy water problem and bring you water that’s clean, heathy and great-tasting.

Call us, or reach out with our handy contact form.