Dirty water?

[Cozzer]

Our kitchen sink has 2 bowls - one to wash, and one to rinse.
We use hot water - and currently Fairy Platinum liquid - to wash crockery and cutlery in the bigger bowl, and then rinse off with "fresh" cold water in the other.
Nothing unusual so far....
On the stainless drainer we have a white plastic 2-tier effort, where the freshly-rinsed plates etc. can stand. In other words, we don't bother drying, we simply let the crockery drip-dry.
So, in short, things are washed in hot, soapy water, rinsed in cold, and then racked.
Move forward a few hours, and the white tray under the 2-tier thing looks like this....

Close-up on the right.
Bits. Hundeds of 'em. Realistically, it can only be the cold water.
What they are, I've no idea.....but it's a bit worrying!
Severn Trent water, by the way.
Might be worth checking yours if you live in the same region....

 

[Yojevol]

Is there anything unusual about your water supply pipes? A friend of mine once connected a water supply in his garage to a sink in the kitchen. Unfortunately the clear plastic connecting pipe ran across the garage roof in full daylight. The resulting algae broke away and came out of the kitchen tap. He complained to the water utility, ST, who sent an engineer to investigate who quickly identified the problem. He was not best pleased for the call-out.
Brian

 

[Cozzer]

Is there anything unusual about your water supply pipes? A friend of mine once connected a water supply in his garage to a sink in the kitchen. Unfortunately the clear plastic connecting pipe ran across the garage roof in full daylight. The resulting algae broke away and came out of the kitchen tap. He complained to the water utility, ST, who sent an engineer to investigate who quickly identified the problem. He was not best pleased for the call-out.
Brian

Not to my knowledge, Brian.
At least, nothing like the example you gave - everything underground.
Curious how you mentioned algae, though - these "bits" appear lightish brown to start with, but if left for a few hours do take on a green tinge.
The only other thing worth mentioning is that, when filling the cold rinse sink, the water is virtually opaque, appearing grey/silver. It's as if it's going to settle as a sediment, but doesn't - it simply disappears, leaving (what appears to be) clear cold water.

 

[Argus]

I'm assuming that you are connected to mains water supplies rather than well-water.

It would help to find out if this is purely the hot-water system or it affects your drinking and cooking water.

If so the look at two things; try to eliminate your hot-water system by examining a sample from as near the incoming mains as you can, if it is proved to be incoming, have you asked your neighbours to look at their supplies?

It would stand to reason that if it is a local disturbance due to works going on in your area they would be similarly affected. In that case, I would expect a notification from the suppliers.

If it is a mains contamination you could expect the suppliers to take an interest.

If the problem is isolated to your hot-water storage, I would certainly counsel a deep, professional clean-up.
In general, static domestic hot water supplies should be maintained in excess of 60 deg to eliminate natural bacteria.

In this area of interest, look for unused 'dead' legs of piping, typically side bathrooms or annexes that are seldom used. The water sitting in these areas can be an incubator for bacteria.

Good luck......... dodgy water is a no joke.

 

[Spectric]

Good luck......... dodgy water is a no joke.

and make sure you have a good supply of toilet paper as you may need it!

 

[Jacob]

Our kitchen sink has 2 bowls - one to wash, and one to rinse.
We use hot water - and currently Fairy Platinum liquid - to wash crockery and cutlery in the bigger bowl, and then rinse off with "fresh" cold water in the other.
Nothing unusual so far....
On the stainless drainer we have a white plastic 2-tier effort, where the freshly-rinsed plates etc. can stand. In other words, we don't bother drying, we simply let the crockery drip-dry.
So, in short, things are washed in hot, soapy water, rinsed in cold, and then racked.
Move forward a few hours, and the white tray under the 2-tier thing looks like this....

View attachment 142891

Close-up on the right.
Bits. Hundeds of 'em. Realistically, it can only be the cold water.
What they are, I've no idea.....but it's a bit worrying!
Severn Trent water, by the way.
Might be worth checking yours if you live in the same region....

No prob here (near Matlock) unless they are doing some pipe work in the neighbourhood, which has happened a few times - brown water for an hour or so. Warnings given previously.
Ring local authority environmental health office, or Severn Trent itself.

 

[MARK.B.]

Has this just happened or has it been doing it for a while ?

 

[1steven]

Make sure you boil any drinking water and have a water sample tested.

 

[Spectric]

This has made me think back to when I was into caving, stayed at a clubhouse where several weeks earlier people had been feeling unwell and having the squirts and then they found a dead lamb in there water reservoir.

 

[johna.clements]

I worked with a person once who was on a coach trip in France. The coach stopped beside a cliff which had water falling down it. He decided to brush his teeth, was told to stop, but carried on. Ruined the rest of his holiday.

 

[TRITON]

Thank goodness for Scottish water(not the company) Ours is clean, fresh and nice to drink.

Once when down in London i filled a glass from the tap and spat it back out. Utterly disgusting.

 

[user 35906]

Perhaps your water is supplied by an old cast iron main, wonder if it is magnetic? have a look in a toilet cistern, it's surprising how much dirt comes from the mains. At work if people complained of dirty hot water at the taps we would find the coil in the hot water cylinder had split and the central heating water was getting in to the domestic hot water system.

 

[woodieallen]

I prefer my Scottish water diluted with a wee dram.

 

[Jacob]

I prefer my Scottish water diluted with a wee dram.

London water just diluted with wee

 

[TomGW]

I understand how you are noticing this in the drainer tray after the dish washing process, but have you tried taking a straight sample of cold tap water into a sterile glass bottle to see if this occurs? Your two tier plastic drainer affair, if it has interlocking parts, may be harbouring bacteria.

 

[Cozzer]

I understand how you are noticing this in the drainer tray after the dish washing process, but have you tried taking a straight sample of cold tap water into a sterile glass bottle to see if this occurs? Your two tier plastic drainer affair, if it has interlocking parts, may be harbouring bacteria.

That's a good point/suggestion, TomGW.
As regards (some of) the questions in other posts, yes, mains water as opposed to well.
Regarding 'dead legs of piping', there is one that would qualify - we've an unused vanity unit in a bedroom. That's definitely worth checking - thanks for the suggestion.....
Will try and catch the neighbour later today - he's usually out washing his car on a Sunday. Worth the question.
Cheers, all..

 

[johna.clements]

we've an unused vanity unit in a bedroom.

Even if your vanity water has none of the crude in it seems like a good idea to use it occasionally so new chlorinated water is drawn into the pipe.

I am now thinking that I should do that with my outside tap. I have a tap on the inside so I can drain down the outside during winter but that does leave a short leg that may have no flow for six months if I do not need water in the garden.

 

[Henniep]

Not to my knowledge, Brian.
At least, nothing like the example you gave - everything underground.
Curious how you mentioned algae, though - these "bits" appear lightish brown to start with, but if left for a few hours do take on a green tinge.
The only other thing worth mentioning is that, when filling the cold rinse sink, the water is virtually opaque, appearing grey/silver. It's as if it's going to settle as a sediment, but doesn't - it simply disappears, leaving (what appears to be) clear cold water.

The opaque look is probably air/oxygen in the water. Actually a good sign. It may, however, promote the growth of fungi/algae.

 

[Stevekane]

Your kitchen tap isnt drawing from a tank in the loft by any chance? its unusual now but in years gone by it was more common, it was often the case that bathrooms were set up like this and the kitchen was difect off the mains.
As our friend above said, cloudy milky water that clears as you look at it in a glass is aeriation and nothing to be concerned about.
Steve.

 

[NormanB]

Your kitchen tap isnt drawing from a tank in the loft by any chance? its unusual now but in years gone by it was more common, it was often the case that bathrooms were set up like this and the kitchen was difect off the mains.
As our friend above said, cloudy milky water that clears as you look at it in a glass is aeriation and nothing to be concerned about.
Steve.

It’s not that unusual. They were still building houses with unvented hot water cylinders in the 2000s.