When water appears cloudy or milky, homeowners wonder if their water is safe for drinking, cooking, and bathing. If you notice that your water is cloudy or milky, our highly-trained plumbers at JW’s Plumbing Services recommend consulting with a professional to determine the cause as there are several.

1. Work Is Being Done on the Pressurized Municipal System

If you receive your water from a pressurized municipal system in your community, your water can sometimes become cloudy if the water company is performing work on the water lines and pumping stations. When the water company is performing maintenance, the pressure sometimes increases significantly, which causes a plethora of air bubbles to form in the water, giving it a cloudy or milky appearance.

If your water comes from a pressurized municipal system and the water running from every tap in your home appears milky or cloudy, maintenance to the system is likely a result. In this case, the problem will resolve once the work is done and water pressure is normalized.

2. You Possibly Have Hard Water

If your water regularly appears to be yellow, green, or brown, this can mean that it contains many minerals. When your water is mineral-rich, this means that you have hard water. If you find that you have hard water like many homeowners in Indianapolis, you can contact a plumbing professional to receive water treatment. Water treatment will include things like:

• Water Softeners
• Water filtration systems
• Water purification treatments

Your water will need to be tested regularly by a plumbing professional to ensure it is being treated properly on an ongoing basis.

3. Problems With Plumbing Fixtures in the Home

If you notice that cloudy or milky water is coming from only one faucet in your home, then this means that there is a problem with that particular water fixture. If you suspect one of your water fixtures is having issues, you will need to contact a professional plumber for an inspection. When issues are discovered, the plumber will mitigate them immediately. Once problems with the water fixture are resolved, the cloudy or milky water will dissipate.

4. There Is a Problem With the Water Heater

When you first turn on the hot water, it will commonly appear cloudy or milky since gases and air bubbles can become trapped inside your hot water tank. When you run your hot water for approximately a minute or so, the air bubbles and gases will decrease, and the water will return to its normal color. If your water appears cloudy or milky when only the hot water is running and it does not resolve itself after letting the water run for a bit, this means that there is a problem with your water heater, which will warrant a call to a licensed plumber.

If you continuously have cloudy or milky-colored water and the problem is not resolving itself, pick up the phone and call JW’s Plumbing Services. One of our well-trained, friendly plumbing professionals will come to your home, troubleshoot what is wrong, and resolve problems quickly. We provide services for clients in Indianapolis and surrounding areas.