White or cloudy water can occur due to something as simple as air in your water. To confirm this you can fill a glass with water and the air will clear from the bottom upwards.
Air may be present in our mains following a burst and repair, or it may be due to a faulty tap. The presence of the air may cause the water to spurt from the tap. Please do not be alarmed; it generally clears within one or two hours.
White particles
White particles occur in boiled water because most of our water is naturally hard. These particles are likely to be visible as a build-up of scale on kettle elements or in hot drinks especially if you have used a new or recently de-scaled kettle.
Yellow, orange or brown water
Yellow, orange or brown water is usually caused by the disturbance of iron deposits. This can happen when there is a change in the direction or speed of flow of the water. Changes in flow can occur for a number of reasons. Please check your:
Mains fed cold water tap. Check this by taking water from the kitchen tap. The causes for this are a burst on a water mains network or a sudden demand for water in another area e.g. for fire fighting
Internal storage cistern. Check this by taking water from a bathroom tap. It may be that recent plumbing or water use has mixed up particles in your water system. Your internal storage cistern can also cause discoloration.
Blue/blue-green stains in water
New or deteriorating copper pipes within your own internal plumbing may cause blue/blue-green stains, particularly under a dripping tap. If you have a water softener on your non-drinking water system this can also contribute to staining under a dripping tap.
Black discoloration in our water
Black discoloration in our water is extremely rare because it arises as a result of naturally occurring manganese. It can occur when there is a change in flow, as in 'yellow, orange or brown' above.
