A sudden change in water color can be alarming.  Often these changes don't pose a health risk, but sometimes they may indicate a public health concern.  Below is a list of typical concerns and the most common cause.   

BROWN, ORANGE OR YELLOW: Is usually caused by rust.  The rust can be from the water mains or the water pipes in your building.  The rust can be disturbed and temporarily suspended in water with unusual water flows from maintenance, water main breaks, flushing of a fire hydrant, or use of a fire hydrant to fight a fire. 

While unpleasant and potentially damaging to clothes and fixtures, iron in drinking water is not a human health concern.

Characteristics of a water main disturbance:

• The water is clear but suddenly became discolored.
• Only the cold water is discolored.
• The water is discolored at all of the indoor and outdoor faucets and does not clear after running for a few minutes. 

The City recommends flushing your indoor plumbing after the water is restored.

Characteristics of a corrosion problem within the home or building plumbing:

• The water is discolored every morning or the first time a faucet is used after sitting for several hours of disuse.
• The water clears after it has been run for a few minutes.
• The discoloration is at one or a few of the faucets but not at all of the faucets in the structure.
• The discoloration is only in the hot water.

MILKY WHITE, CLOUDY OR HAZY: Water that is milky white, cloudy or hazy is usually caused by tiny air bubbles in the water.  Fill a clear, tall glass with water and set it on the counter to observe for a few minutes.  If the white color is air, it will begin to clear from the bottom of the glass first and then gradually clear all the way to the top.  This is a natural phenomenon and is caused by dissolved air in the water that is released when the faucet is opened.  It is not a health threat and should clear in a few minutes.  

Maintenance or repair of plumbing systems can introduce air into the lines, usually resulting in sputtering faucets or irregular water flow.  This issue usually resolves on its own after the water has been run for a while. 

Another source of air introduced into the water system is when landscape irrigation systems are incorrectly winterized, this forces the air into the water supply instead of forcing the water out of the sprinkler system.

If your water is cloudy or milky in appearance, and does not clear, or if air in the water continues to be a problem call the City of Wenatchee at (509) 888-3235 so we can investigate the situation further.

GREEN OR BLUE WATER: It is rare for water to have this color.  The most common cause of green or blue water is corrosion of copper plumbing.  If corrosion is occurring, dripping water will leave a bluish-green stain on porcelain fixtures.  Certain metals that can get into drinking water from corrosion, such as copper or lead, may pose a health concern.  If you suspect corrosion, contact your water utility or a licensed plumber.

Another possible source of blue or green water is due to a cross-connection between the water supply and a source of contamination or pollution.  Some specific examples of backflow incidents that can occur are: lawn chemicals backflowing (back-siphoning) through a garden hose into indoor plumbing, back-siphonage of “blue water” from a toilet into a building’s water supply, or backflow of boiler corrosion control chemicals into a building’s water supply.  Water that has been contaminated with any of these chemicals is unsafe to drink.  Please call the City of Wenatchee at (509) 888-3235 so we can investigate the situation.

PINK OR ORANGE STAINS: The pink/red/orange discoloration that you see on bathroom fixtures, grout, and shower curtains comes from a biofilm of the bacteria Serratia marcescens. Serratia is an airborne bacterium that prefers areas that are moist, such as showers.  It is not enough to just scrub away the biofilm, the area must also be disinfected to kill any remaining bacteria colonies to prevent it from reestablishing.  An antibacterial cleaner with bleach is recommended.

This list is not exhaustive, it contains common discoloration concerns.  If you can't correct the problem yourself, or if you have additional questions please contact our water utility at (509) 888-3235.