[ZZZZZ]

Starting about a month ago, my municipal tap water gradually began to run a light white. Now it's almost skim milk white. If you fill a glass of water, the water clears after about a minute. No doubt it is just harmless oxygen or air bubbles rising to the top, but something is not right with the system.

Water from all of the hot and cold faucets in the house and the two outside hose bibs is all the same, very milky.

None of my neighbors are having any similar problems.

I went down to the water dept today to pay my bill, and while there I talked to the chief engineer of the municipal water dept. He got on the case right away and had a couple of guys check the "?pressure relief valves?" in the area, and he said they were OK This afternoon he came out to the house and had a look. He was stumped. He'll work on some ideas tomorrow, but in the meantime, do you guys have any suggestions as to what may be happening?

Water pressure to the house is a high but acceptable 80-85 PSI.

Thanks.

 

[jmon]

Starting about a month ago, my municipal tap water gradually began to run a light white. Now it's almost skim milk white. If you fill a glass of water, the water clears after about a minute. No doubt it is just harmless oxygen or air bubbles rising to the top, but something is not right with the system.Thanks.

Correct. I agree, nothing to worry about. Agree, your water pressure is a little on the high side, but nothing extreme.

You were wise to go to your local municipality first. See if it's on their end or yours. Being how you are the only one affected, I'm guessing it's on your end.

Sometimes air can be sucking through a small hole in a pipe, bad fixture, or a water treatment device needs servicing causing the issue. I really don't know just guessing.

Please wait for others to respond. Thank you.

 

[Ghostmaker]

Air is being inserted into your water at some point. Does your yard have a nice well watered green spot?

 

[ZZZZZ]

Air is being inserted into your water at some point. Does your yard have a nice well watered green spot?

No, no leaks anywhere, inside the house or outside.. This past month's water usage was a drought-conscious, miserly 1600 gallons for the month.

I'm no scientist or engineer, but what I don't get is how, at 80 PSI, air could get into the lines without water getting out.

 

[Ghostmaker]

Venturi effect.

 

[Ghostmaker]

http://www.unitedutilities.com/White-water.aspx

Do this test. Maybe your utilities did some water line work and it just has not reached the neighbors yet. From what you said that's my guess.

 

[ZZZZZ]

http://www.unitedutilities.com/White-water.aspx

Do this test. Maybe your utilities did some water line work and it just has not reached the neighbors yet. From what you said that's my guess.

Yeah, that is exactly what I have, the bubble clear from the bottom up.

 

[paintdrying]

One of your neighbors is pumping contaminated water into your house. That is exactly why i removed all my outside spigots.
I had something like this happen to a rental. The house sat for months at a time. Lines would fill with air, but their were no leaks. Somehow the system sucks air. I would left the water run for 3 minutes then the air pockets would come blasting out the faucet.

 

[karin els]

Do you have a water softner, setiment filter, or ANY other purification or filtration system on your house? And do you have a pressure reducing valve existing on the main line coming in?

 

[ZZZZZ]

One of your neighbors is pumping contaminated water into your house. That is exactly why i removed all my outside spigots.
I had something like this happen to a rental. The house sat for months at a time. Lines would fill with air, but their were no leaks. Somehow the system sucks air. I would left the water run for 3 minutes then the air pockets would come blasting out the faucet.

Ummmmm, that's not it, at least not in my case.

Though I do believe the MJ12 documents are authentic.:biggrin2:

 

[ZZZZZ]

Do you have a water softner, setiment filter, or ANY other purification or filtration system on your house? And do you have a pressure reducing valve existing on the main line coming in?

I do have a 2 gallon Reverse Osmosis system in the kitchen for drinking water, but the water dept engineer said that couldn't be causing the problem, since all the faucets in the house and two outside all have the white water.

No pressure reducing valve or anything else on the line from the water main. There is a regular shutoff valve at the street, no leaks or anything, it shuts off and turns back on fine.

And, today I finally talked to my next door neighbors who have been away. They do have a lot of bubbles in the water, but nowhere near what I have. Their water is bubbly, but it is clear. But again, my neighbors across the street and to the other side of my house don't have a problem at all.

 

[ZZZZZ]

Just heard back for the town water engineer. They did find a faulty air release valve about 200 yards up the street from me. They knocked on a couple of doors between here and there and those houses did have some air in the line, but nowhere near what I have. Though he couldn't explain why my water was much much worse than everybody else's.

They will replace the valve tomorrow, and a couple of other valves in the system in the neighborhood over the next few days. Then they'll flush everything and hopefully in 3 or 4 days my water will be back to normal.:vs_clap::vs_clap:

 

[karin els]

Best of luck and I hope it does solve your issues.