Short answer: Brown water is usually rust, iron, manganese or sediment. If it comes from every cold tap at once, the cause is on the supply side, such as work on a city water main or sediment in a well. If only the hot water is brown, the water heater is the likely source.
- Who this is for: anyone who just saw brown or tea-colored water, on city water or a well.
- Can wait: brief brown water that clears after you run the cold tap, especially after nearby water main work.
- Act today: brown water that does not clear, comes with a bad smell, or only shows on the hot side.
- Call or text Ryan if: it keeps coming back, or you want the cause found.
Step One: Hot, Cold or Both?
Run a cold tap in a bathroom for a minute. Then run a hot tap. Fill two clear glasses so you can compare them side by side.
- Cold and hot both brown: the problem is in the supply coming into the house.
- Only hot is brown: the problem is the water heater, and not the water itself.
- Only one faucet is brown: that is a local problem, such as a corroded pipe or fixture near that tap.
Also note whether it started suddenly. A sudden change, with water that was clear that morning, has a different cause than water that has been slowly yellow or orange for months. For the slow version, see orange stains in the sink.
If You Are on City Water
Brown water that appears suddenly on city water is often caused by work on the water main, a hydrant being flushed, or a break nearby. The flow in the pipes changes, and rust and sediment that settle in old mains get stirred up and travel to the house. It usually looks rusty or tea-colored.
What to do:
- Call or check with your water utility to see if there was work in the area.
- Run only the cold water, at a tap near where the water enters the house, or an outdoor hose bib, until it runs clear. That helps flush the sediment out without sending it through the water heater.
- Avoid running the hot water or washing white laundry until the water is clear, because sediment can stain clothes and get into the water heater.
If it clears in a short time and stays clear, you can leave it. If it does not clear, tell the utility, then call a plumber.
If You Are on a Well
If you are on a private well, brown water often starts at the well. The EPA lists iron and manganese as common nuisance minerals: iron can make water rusty and leave sediment, and manganese can make it look brown or black. Neither is a health-based limit in the EPA's view, but they stain fixtures and laundry and are hard on appliances.
A sudden change in a well usually has a reason:
- The pump just turned on after sitting. Sediment settles in the pipes and the first water through is dirty. Run the cold tap and see if it clears.
- Heavy rain or a changing water level can stir up sediment. After heavy rain, UGA Extension suggests considering disinfection and retesting for coliform bacteria, so be careful about drinking it. See cloudy or sandy well water and well water testing in Georgia.
- A worn pump or a changed well. If brown or sandy water keeps coming back, the well or pump needs a look.
- A pressure tank problem. An old tank can hold sediment and release it in bursts.
If the water is brown and the pump is also acting up, read well pump short cycling.
If Only the Hot Water Is Brown
A water heater tank collects sediment and rust over the years. Hard water and well water speed that up, and the anode rod inside wears away. If the hot water is brown and the cold is clear, the heater is shedding rust or sediment into the hot side.
- Do not use the hot water for laundry or dishes.
- Draining part of the tank into a bucket or a hose, with the heater off, can show how much is in there. Be careful, because the water can be hot.
- If you see rust flakes, or the tank is old, it may be rusting from the inside. A tank that rusts through will leak. See water heater leaking.
Ryan does water heater repair and installation, tank and tankless. The estimate is free before any work starts.
Brown water that keeps coming back?
Text Ryan a photo of the glass and tell him if it is hot, cold or both. He is a licensed Master Plumber and answers his own phone, day or night.
Old Pipes and Single Faucets
If only one tap runs brown, or the brown water shows up after the water has sat unused, the problem may be a corroded section of pipe, a rusty fitting or an old fixture. Houses that sat empty, like vacation cabins, often show brown water first thing after the water comes back on. Run the cold water at each tap for a few minutes. If it keeps happening, an old galvanized line could be shedding rust. See repiping a mountain home for when pipes are the issue.
What to Do Now and When to Call
- Do the hot and cold comparison.
- Run cold water only until it clears. Do not run hot water while it is brown.
- Keep a glass of it so you can show Ryan, and take a photo.
- Use bottled water for drinking and cooking if it does not clear, or if you have a well and it follows heavy rain.
- Call or text Ryan if the water does not clear, only the hot is brown, or the problem keeps coming back.
If you also have no water, or water is coming out of a pipe, treat it as an emergency. Ryan is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.