Water Supply

[kwicky]

We have noticed over the past few days the cold drinking water from the mains is very cloudy and colourless. When left a couple of minutes the water clears. If this is now stirred it still remains clear.
Are there chemicals put in the water supply to cause this and is it quite natural?

[Postdog]

Don't worry - this happened to me a few years back and I rang up about it. They are simply oxygenating the water - no chemicals are involved. The water is quite safe to drink.

[Hammer]

Yep, probably tiny air bubbles which disappear of their own accord after a minute or two. Nothing to worry about.

[lafrancaise]

It's like getting Perrier on tap!

[kwicky]

Interesting I've heard they put fluoride in the drinking water for your teeth and bones and chlorine into the swimming baths but not of oxygenating it. The question therefore is why? I believe they oxygenate rivers and streams but that is to help the fish breathe.

[handyman1]

i am on a water meter and dont mind paying for the water i use but i do not want to pay for tiny air bubbles. could the water boards be conning us all to get more money out of us.

[kwicky]

I should point out their are no bubbles in the water just a cloudy liquid that looks like its the remains of water mixed with powder filtered from the washing machine.

[kwicky]

I spoke to my neighbour about this. He has the same problem, cloudy water from the mains. I phoned the water company this morning. They said air was getting into the system and could be via a leak. Further to this the problem seems to be caused by a new housing development 1 mile away after putting in balancing ponds?

[Teddio]

Your water is saturated with air under pressure. When you turn on the tap the pressure of the water falls and the air comes out of solution forming tiny air bubbles. This gives the water a cloudy appearance. The same effect can be observed when nitro-keg beer is drawn from a pump.

[kwicky]

Except that this cloudy appearance is not normal for tap water. The water board admitted the fact. Whatever is causing it will need to be sorted out. The fact that water in the mains is under pressure does not excuse a fault allowing air to enter the system and which could probably allow harmful bacteria to enter as well.