What causes my water to look yellow?
Yellow coloration in your drinking water is often caused by small amounts of rust. There are plenty of small amounts of iron and oxygen in our water pipes and when these combine, you often are left with a yellow tinge to your drinking water.
Red, orange and yellow colours are associated with rust contaminating your water pipes, indicating various forms of rust found in the piping throughout your building. Your water provider will regularly flush supply lines to release a build up of sediment. Any signs of stain occur, avoid using bleach to remove as this can cause it to be permanent. This sediment can remain in the water pipes and attaches itself to the inner walls, which can can cause the linings to degrade and failures to occur. When combined with pressurised water, the pipes can crack and leak water into your building’s plumbing.
What should I do if my water looks yellow?
Iron contamination is the most difficult to deal with as it comes from a variety of sources and each type has its individual method of elimination that is dependent on conditions. Most iron imbalances can also be treated with carbon filters in line with your water supply and can treat many thousand litres. Follow the guidelines supplied by your water provider and ask a certified plumber to inspect your property every few years.
If your source is within your building supply, a plumber can assess the types of rust, cost and methods involved to remove and replace the affected piping.
