Water is odorless, tasteless, and colorless when there are no impurities in it. So, when you see color in the water, what does it mean? What’s in the water that’s causing it to change color like that? Should you consider installing a well water filtration system? Here is everything you need to know about it.

Tap Water Colors And What Do They Mean

No Color

First up is water that has no color. This is just how water should be. It is naturally colorless and it is clear so you can see pretty much through it. This is regular water with no impurities. If you’re lucky, you can screw open your tap and it will sputter out clear water with zero impurities. But having clear water isn’t everything. You need to check that it also tastes and smells like nothing too.

If the water tastes and smells like, well, nothing, then you’re good to go. You don’t want to drink clear water, but it still has a weird taste of smell to it, because there might be dissolved gasses in it that might be altering the taste of the water.

Red Color

Next up is water that has either a slight red, orange, or brown tinge to it. This is the sign of rust being present in your water pipes. Even though the sight of red-tinged water is anything but pleasant, this is more common than anything. Rust and corrosion in water pipes is really common and it can lead to it mixing in with water, hence the alteration of the color. If your water pipes are really old and the water is getting too red and even tastes metallic, then you need to get them changed.

Sometimes, the red tinge goes away after letting the water run for a bit, but if that doesn’t happen, then the rust or corrosion is out of control and you need to do something about it before your tap water is rendered useless.

Muddy Water

This is different from red water. This water is kind of earthy in color and there are also suspended sediments in it. This is the very reason why the water is muddy in the first place. It got mixed with dirt and sediment. Again, this is very common to occur, but the water is rendered impure and you don’t want to drink this muddy and murky concoction that will probably turn your stomach.

Sediments and dirt can easily find their way into water. It can be either through wells that aren’t cased, pipes that are damaged and are letting water get mixed in with sediments and loose sand or it can also be low water tables that let sand and water get mixed in. This is frustrating and the only way you can get pure and clear water again is by filtering it.

Green Color

Yes, water can be green as well and there are a couple of reasons why this color is imparted to the water. It can be because of copper and this tinge is visible even if the faucet is screwed shut.

You can see a green ring or even a scale of sorts around the lip of the sink. This is copper residue and it is the very thing that will make your water green. There might be a blockage in your water supply system that could lead to this problem, so it’s better to get it checked out. However, if you see that the water is oily, there may be sulfide and iron in it.

Algae can also lead to green-colored water, if it is fully dissolved in it, to the point where you can’t even see the small pieces of algae in the usually clear water.

Pink Or Purple Water

Pink and purple water might sound and even look whimsical, but it is anything but. It is because of potassium permanganate. It is a chemical added to tap water to oxidize iron and manganese. These agents can also lead to alteration of taste in water and even though potassium permanganate can be used in water to treat it, you don’t want to use too much.

If there is more concentration of potassium permanganate in the water, then it will turn pink and if the concentration is amped up even more, then the pink water will deepen into a purple color. Potassium permanganate is mainly added to the supply water by the company responsible for the distribution of water all over a certain area, so if you see pink or purple tinges in the water, then it’s better to notify the company immediately.

They will take care of the rest. It’s best that you don’t consume too much of this pink/purple water because it’s not good for you.

Cloudy Water

If you collect water in a glass and it looks cloudy like it has been mixed with a white substance of sorts, then it is hard water. Hard water has an abundance of calcium and magnesium ions in it and because these are heavy ions, they don’t fully dissolve in the water which causes it to become cloudy. It also has the potential of leaving scale on anything the water is contained in.

Aside from that, you can also check the water hardness by using soap or detergent with this cloudy water. If it doesn’t form any lather, then the water is most definitely hard. To rectify this problem, you’re going to need to treat the water using a water softener that will replace the unwanted ions for good.

Black Water

This is like a nightmare when you open up your faucet and see blackish water flowing out of the spout. This is because of either mold or mildew and none of it should be in the water. Having corroded pipes is one thing, but mold and mildew-infested water pipes are a serious situation and you need to call in a plumber to get to the bottom of the problem.

When you drink the water, it will be sweet and musty in taste as well, so this is a key identifier that your water is infested with mold.

Water With Green Bits In It

This is not a color change but it can be a presence of impurity in the water nonetheless. Your water might be clear for the most part but when you leave the faucet on for a long time or even are using water from a particular spout after a while, then you’ll see that there are slimy, dark green bits in the water.

This is algae, but it is not dissolved. If it breaks down, then the water can turn green, but if it hasn’t, then it means that the water has been stagnant for too long and it has caused large chunks of algae to get stuck to the walls of the pipes. When you open the faucet, the pressure of the water will take the algae with it and this is why you see them.

Conclusion

Ideally, water shouldn’t have any color in it. So, if there is, you can figure out what’s in it so that you can pick the right water filtration option. If you need a water treatment system that removes most of the impurities, choose a reverse osmosis system.