There is air in my water or something is making it have a milky or white appearance; or it seems to fizz / seems like carbonated water, what is going on?
Categories:
Utilities Operations
Drinking Water Quality
Milky water is usually due to air bubbles in the water or zinc dissolved from galvanized household piping; either condition will give the water a milky appearance. There are several conditions that could cause this: 1) Air bubbles may be present in water after there has been a break in or draining of a main. Most water mains are equipped with air relief valves, which permit air to enter the main when the pressure drops to zero; these valves permit air to escape when the main is refilled. However, if the main is filled too rapidly or if there are no air valves in the line, air is entrapped within the main. When water containing entrapped air is drawn from a faucet, the pressure is decreased and air bubbles are released giving the water a milky appearance; 2) Cold water holds a greater amount of air in solution than does warm water, when cold water saturated with air is warmed, the air is released in the form of small air bubbles, which give the water a milky or carbonated appearance; 3) Complaints of air in water have been traced to the overheating of hot-water tanks. This usually occurs in homes where there are old-style, manually operated heaters, but may occur in newer homes where automatic hot-water tanks fail to operate properly or where the thermostat is set at an excessive temperature – above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Water releases air bubbles when it is heated. For this reason, hot water almost always contains some air bubbles. This condition is most noticeable during the winter months when the water normally contains the most air in solution. It is especially noticeable in the first water drawn from a hot-water tank after the tank has been idle overnight. This same condition could occur from warming of cold water lines (like pipes attached to the sides of buildings and exposed to the sun) to deliver milky water; 4) Milkiness of water due to zinc is an entirely different condition from air in water, although it is difficult to tell one condition from the other by simply looking at the water. Zinc can be dissolved from galvanized piping and re-precipitated in the water forming a bluish-white basic zinc carbonate. Since galvanized pipe is not used in most distribution systems, milkiness due to zinc is usually caused by the galvanized pipe within the customer’s premises; 5) A cross connection can occur at a kitchen sink between the water line and the dishwasher. Water pressure is used to dispense dishwashing detergent; and if the piping is incorrectly installed, a frothy or air-bubble condition can occur in the cold water; 6) Consumers may complain of noise in water pipes and conclude that it is caused by air in the line. Noise is not usually due to air in the line but rather to some other cause, such as a bad faucet washer.
Updated 2/5/2021 9:19 AM