On the occasion, the cold water faucet in my kitchen sink has yellow water. This led me to my favorite resource, Google! Here are some common causes of discolored water.

If you have yellow, red or orange water (like me), you have rust in your water. The color variation depends on the oxidation of the oxide. Rust in the water will not cause health problems.

Rusty water can come from the city’s main water main or from the pipes in your house. If your problem only arises when you use cold water (again, like me), if the color change is sudden, or if the color is fading on all faucets, then it’s a main city water problem. Cities typically do an annual flush of the water main to remove sediment, so the problem may go away on its own. However, if there is little flow in your area, discolored water may continue.

While bleached water isn’t a health threat, it can stain clothing, so don’t wash clothes while bleaching is taking place. If you get a rusty color on the clothes, do not use bleach. The chemical reaction will make the stain permanent. All you need to do is wash your clothes again.

If the water is discolored every morning, if the water clears after a few minutes, if the discoloration is in a faucet, or if the discoloration is in the hot water, the problem is with the plumbing in your home. If the problem is in your home, then you need to replace the rusty pipes. If you have galvanized pipes and choose to replace corroded pipes with copper, be sure to connect them correctly. If you connect them directly, copper can cause galvanized pipes to rust faster.

If you have blue-green water, this is a problem with copper pipes or brass fittings. If you have this color in your water it can cause health problems and should be remedied immediately. Large amounts of copper in water can cause gastrointestinal, kidney, and/or liver problems.

If your water is:

BLACK: This could be a mold problem. and you should call a plumber to investigate.

PINK: A harmless organism is growing in your water. It does not cause health problems.

BLUE: Your toilet cistern with disinfectant is leaking and it’s mixing with your water supply. Call a plumber to fix the leak.

GREEN: Algae is growing in your water supply.