Symptom | Possible Cause | Possible Health Effects | Means of Treatment |
Soap scum in sinks and bathtub, or yellow or whitish scum on flower pots | Calcium (limestone) and magnesium salts (hard water) | Aesthetic only | Water softener |
Abrasive texture to water when washing or residual left in sink | Excessively fine sand, silt in water | Various (sand could trap contaminants leading to health risk) | Point of use sediment filter or whole house filter |
Musty, earthy or wood smell | Generally, harmless organic matter | Aesthetic only | Activated carbon filter or reverse osmosis |
Chlorine smell | Excessive chlorination | Could occur from formation of disinfection byproducts | Dechlorinate with point of use activated carbon filter or whole house filter |
Rotten egg odor, or tarnished silverware | 1. Dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas 2. Presence of sulfate reducing bacteria in raw water | Various effects | 1. Manganese greensand filter constant chlorination followed by filtration/dechlorination. 2. Constant chlorination followed with a point of use activated carbon filter or whole house filter |
Hot water, rotten egg odor | Action of magnesium rod in hot water heater | Various Effects | Remove magnesium rod from heater |
Detergent odor, water foams when drawn | Seepage of septic discharge into underground water supply | Disease-causing microorganisms may be present | 1. Locate and eliminate source of seepage—then heavily chlorinate well 2. Activated point of use carbon filter or whole house filter will adsorb limited amount |
Gasoline or oil (hydro-carbon) smell | Leak in fuel oil tank or gasoline tank seeping into water supply | Fuel components may be toxic or carcinogenic | No residential treatment. Locate and eliminate seepage |
Methane gas | Naturally occurring caused by decaying organics | Various effects | Aeration system and repump |
Phenol smell (chemical odor) | Industrial waste seeping into surface or ground water supplies | Various—compounds may be carcinogenic | Point of use activated carbon filter or whole house filter system will adsorb short-term. |
Salty or brackish | High sodium content | Aesthetic only | 1. Deionize drinking water only with disposable mixed bed—anion/cation resins 2. Reverse osmosis |
Alkali taste | High dissolved mineral containing alkalinity (Stained aluminum cookware) | Aesthetic only | Reduce by reverse osmosis |
Metallic taste | 1. Very low pH water (3.0-5.5) 2. Heavy iron concentration in water above 3.0 ppm Fe 3. Leaching of lead and copper | Various depends on cause | 1. Neutralizing calcite filter down to pH of 5.5 2. Calcite/ Magnesia—oxide mix (5 to 1) for higher flow rate and to correct very low pH water 3. Soda ash chemical feed followed by filtration For Iron 1. A water softener can remove 0.5 ppm of Fe+ for every grain/gal of hardness to 10 ppm with a minimum pH of 6.7 2. Over 10 ppm Iron, chlorination with sufficient retention tank time for full oxidation followed by filtration/ dechlorination 3. In warm climates residual aerator and filtration will substantially reduce iron content |
Dirt, salt, clay | Suspended matter in surface water pond, stream or lake | Turbid water may contain disease causing microorganisms | “Calcite” or Neutralize (media) type filter—up to 50 ppm |
Sand grit, silt or clay substances | Well sand from new well or defective well screen | Turbid water may contain disease causing microorganisms | Sand trap and/or new well screen |
Rust in water | Acid water causing iron “pick-up” | Turbid water may contain disease causing microorganisms | Neutralizing calcite filter to correct low pH acidity and remove precipitated iron |
Gray string-like fiber | Organic mater in raw water algae, etc | Turbid water may contain disease causing microorganisms | Constant chlorination followed by a point of use activated carbon filter or whole house system to dechlorinate |
Green stains on sinks, or, blue-green look to water | Water which has high carbon dioxide content (pH below 6.8) reacting with brass and copper pipes and fittings | Could lead to health effects if acid water causes leaching of lead and copper | 1. Neutralizing calcite filter down to pH of 5.5 2. Calcite/ Magnesia—oxide mix (5 to 1) for higher flow rate and to correct very low pH water 3. Soda ash chemical feed followed by filtration |
Brown-red stains on sinks or clothing. Water turns brown-red when used for cooking | 1. Dissolved iron in influent (more than 0.3 ppm Fe+) water appears clear when first drawn at cold water faucet. Above 0.3 ppm Fe causes staining | Various effects | 1. A water softener can remove 0.5 ppm of Fe+ for every grain/gal of hardness to 10 ppm with a minimum pH of 6.7 2. Over 10 ppm Fe+ chlorination with sufficient retention tank time for full oxidation followed by filtration / dechlorination 3. In warm climates residual aerator and filtration will substantially reduce iron content |
2. Precipitate iron (water will not clear when drawn) | Various effects | 1. Up to 10 ppm iron removed by manganese greensand filter, if pH 6.7 or higher 2. Manganese treated, non-hydrous aluminum silicate filter where pH of 6.8 or higher and oxygen is 15% of total iron content 3. Downflow water softener with good backwash, up to 1.0 ppm Fe. Above 1 ppm to 10 ppm use calcite filter followed by downflow water softener Calcite media type filter to remove precipitated iron |
Brownish cast does not precipitate | Iron pick-up from old pipe with water having a pH below 6.8. Organic (bacterial) iron | Various effects | 1. Treat well to destroy iron bacteria with solution of hydrochloric acid then constant chlorination followed by a point of use activated carbon filter or whole house system to for dechlorination 2. Potassium permanganate chemical feed followed by filtration |
Reddish color in water sample after standing 24 hours | Colloidal iron | Various effects | Constant chlorination followed by a point a of use activated carbon media filter or whole house system for dechlorination |
Yellowish cast to water after softening and/or filtering | Tannins (humic acids) in water from peaty soil and decaying vegetation | Various effects | 1. Adsorption via special macro-porous Type I anion exchange resin regenerated with salt (NaCl) up to 3.0 ppm. 2. Manganese greensand or manganese treated sodium alumino-silicate under proper set of conditions |
Cloudiness of water when drawn | 1. Some precipitant sludge created during heating of water 2. High degree of air in water from poorly functioning pump 3. Excessive coagulant-feed being carried through filter | 1. Various effects 2. Aesthetic only 3. Various effects | 1. Blow down domestic or commercial hot water heater tank periodically 2. Water will usually clear quickly upon standing 3. Reduce coagulant quantity being fed, service filters properly |
Blackening and pitting of stainless steel sinks | 1. Excessive salt content 2. High temperature drying creates high chloride concentration accelerating corrosion | Various effects | 1. Use other chloride resistant metals 2. Reduce total dissolved solids by reverse osmosis. |