6 Reasons Your Tap Water Looks Rusty

Jan 19 2023

Tap water is supposed to be clean and crystal clear. If it’s coloured with hints of brown, that’s a big red flag.

Brownish water coming out of the tap can be triggered by different factors. Some of these include pipe corrosion, bacterial growth, aging plumbing systems, or mineral deposits in the water supply tank.

Let’s discuss the common causes of rusty water and how we can combat this situation.

Common Causes of Rusty Water in Your Household Tap

   1. Material of the Main Pipeline

One of the most common causes of rusty water flowing from your tap is issues with the main water line. This is due to the fact that the main pipeline is made of metal or cast iron. Given the nature of steel material, this makes the pipes susceptible to developing rust or corrosion.

   2. Bacteria

Some bacteria is good, and other bacteria is bad. In terms of rusty water plaguing your home, iron bacteria are typically the culprit. Iron-inducing bacteria typically develop in water distribution systems, such as pipes and water tanks.

   3. Tank Water Heater

If you have a tank water heater at home, you already know that the inner surface of this structure is made of metal. On top of that, this piece of equipment goes through a variety of water conditions that subject it to a high risk of corroding or rusting.

   4. Deposits in the Water Supply

Plumbing systems that are connected to a well structure are prone to bringing sand, mud, and clay deposits into the mix. This predominantly applies to newly built homes that have sediments of mud, clay, and dirt flowing in the pipeline. Thus, the brown or rusty appearance.

   5. Worn Out, Rusty Pipes

Homes that have stood the test of time usually come hand in hand with pipes that have undergone a lot of wear and tear. Moreover, older homes are equipped with pipes made of galvanized steel. As time goes by, water will break down these pipes, eventually causing them to rust and impact the quality of your water supply.

   6. Rusty Faucets

In other instances, you don’t have to look too far to find the root cause of rusty water. Sometimes, it’s just the faucet. It’s completely normal for faucets to wear and rust over time. This only indicates that they’re due for a replacement.

Is Rusty Water Dangerous?

Rust is a product of iron bacteria, and iron is an essential nutrient for red blood cell functionality. So, it’s safe to say that small amounts of rust in water may not be considered severely dangerous.

More often than not, rusty water is deemed as an aesthetic issue rather than a health woe.

On the other hand, it is important to take into account that amounts higher than 0.3 ml/L are unsafe to ingest and shower with. One of the primary health hazards of high levels of rust ingestion is iron poisoning.

Solutions for Rusty Water

Drain and Flush

Depending on the source of the rust, you can try to solve the issue by draining and flushing your water heater tank thoroughly via the drain valve.

Call a Professional Plumber

To ensure that all the rust gets washed out of your plumbing system with utmost care, you might want to consider recruiting the services of the experts.

Call 1st Rooter’s Experts to Get Rid of Rusty Water

Maintain the integrity of your property’s plumbing system with the help of 1st Rooter. With our expertise, rusty water won’t stand a chance against our team of highly reliable plumbers.

1st Rooter offers services around the clock for optimal convenience because we understand that plumbing issues don’t follow office hours. No matter what your plumbing emergency may be, you can call us to step in to save the day.