Frequently asked questions about water quality in your home

Sometimes household odors (drains, compost buckets, new furnishings, etc.) may be mistaken for odors in drinking water.  Fill up a glass of water and take it outside or to another room to determine if it is the source of odor.   If the odor is from hot water only, water heater maintenance may be required. Water sitting in pipes for a long period of time may develop a taste or odor from household plumbing.   Flush taps until the water runs cold to bring in fresh water from the mains.  Click here for more information on how to flush your household pipes and water heater. To further reduce taste and odor problems, remove and clean faucet aerators regularly and replace any in-home water filters according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.  

The City of Albany is required to disinfect the drinking water. A residual level of chlorine stays in the distribution system to keep bacteria from growing in the pipes.  As a result, customers may notice a chlorine or bleach smell and taste in the water, which can get worse as the chlorine reacts with organic material that can build up in your home plumbing over time.  If you’ve followed the guidelines on flushing your household pipes and water heater mentioned above and the problem persists, call us at 541-917-7600 or email.   

When the water from your faucet is discolored, this usually indicates a disturbance in the water main. In all public water systems, a fine layer of sediment accumulates on the bottom of the water mains over time. These sediments can be stirred up by hydrant use, valve turning, main breaks or adjacent construction and cause the water to be discolored. Usually, the water will clear on its own within a few hours. 

• The discolored water is not a health threat.  It has been treated and is safe to drink though may be unpleasant to do so.  
• If there are particles or sediment in the water, avoid using it. It may not be harmful but sediments can clog aerators and home filters.  It is fine to use this water to flush toilets, but avoid doing laundry or using dishwashers until the water has cleared.
• Avoid using hot water until the pipes clear to avoid drawing dirty water into your hot water tank.
• After an hour or so, run the cold water for several minutes to see if it is clear. When one faucet runs clear, run the cold water through all home faucets until each is clear. This step will eliminate dirty water that may have been drawn into your pipes.
• If this does not go away in a few hours, call us at 541-917-7600 or email. 

Brown, red, orange, and yellow water are all caused by iron.  The different colors can be attributed to varying chemical oxidation states of the iron (rust) and by varying concentrations of the rust in the water.  Rusty water can come from two major sources:  the water pipes in your house, apartment, or business or the City of Albany’s water mains.

The most common cause of brown, red, orange, or yellow water is rusty steel water pipes in your house, apartment, or business.  On average, galvanized steel pipes will last about 20 years before showing signs of corrosion (rusting).  Well-made galvanized pipe can last as long as 40 years, while poorly-made pipe can show signs of corroding in just a few years.  If old, rusty pipes are discoloring your water, the only permanent solution is to replace the pipes.  Replacing only some of the pipes can improve the problem, or it can actually make it worse.  If some of the old steel pipes are replaced with new copper pipes and the two different metals are connected directly together, the copper can cause the steel to rust even more than before the replacement.  This process can be stopped with the use of a proper dielectric coupling between the dissimilar pipes.  Consult an experienced seller of plumbing materials or an experienced plumber.  Water that is being discolored by rusty pipes is not a health hazard but it does indicate that the pipes are corroding and they can eventually begin leaking.  Many older buildings also have steel pipes from the water meter to the house, apartment, or business.  These supply lines may also need to be replaced.

Fine brown sediment accumulates at the bottom of some of the City of Albany’s water mains over the years.  This sediment may contain small amounts of silt and organic material from our reservoirs, but most of it is rust from the inside walls of the water mains.  Normally, this rusty sediment remains undisturbed at the bottom of the water main.  If an unusually high flow of water through the main occurs, this sediment can become disturbed and temporarily suspended in the water causing a brown, red, orange, or yellow color.  Unusual water flows are commonly caused by a broken water main, a City of Albany Water Distribution Crew working on a water main, a fire hydrant being knocked off its base in an automobile accident, or by someone operating a fire hydrant nearby.  This type of disturbance usually lasts for 2-4 hours; after which the sediment will settle back out and the water will clear.  The discolored water is not a health threat.  If you, your child, or your pet happen to drink some of the discolored water, it will not make you sick; however, it is often very unpleasant, so it is best to wait several hours for the water to clear before using it.  While the water is discolored,  do not wash any laundry, as the rust can stain clothing; and do not use any hot water or you will draw rusty water into your hot water tank and may have to flush it out later.  If you were doing laundry when the water became discolored, rewash it later when the water clears.  Use a rust stain remover or regular detergent.  DO NOT USE CHLORINE BLEACH.  Chlorine reacts with iron and can form a permanent stain.

The first step in solving a discolored water problem is to determine if it is on your property or in City supply lines.

Common characteristics of a corrosion problem on your property include:

• Water that is discolored every morning or when first used after several hours of disuse.
• Water clears after it has run for a few minutes.
• Discoloration may be at only one or at several faucets, not necessarily all of them.
• Discoloration is in both hot and cold water.

These are some common characteristics of a City water main disturbance:

• The water was clear then suddenly became discolored.
• Only cold water is discolored.
• The water is discolored at all of the faucets on the property and does not clear or improve after water has run for several minutes.

If you are still not sure if the discolored water is due to your pipes or our water mains, check the water supply.  When you notice the water is discolored on your property, turn off the faucet.  Immediately take a clean glass or a white bowl and go to the faucet (hose bib) at the front of your house, apartment, or business.  Turn the water on wide open and run it for a full five minutes.  Check your watch; five minutes is a long time.  After five minutes, fill the glass or bowl with water.  If the water is clear at this faucet, your plumbing is likely causing the problem.  If the problem becomes chronic and the water supply at the front is always clear, you should consult a plumber.  If the water at the front tap is discolored after running for five minutes, the problem may be coming from the City’s water main.  If the water does not clear within 24 hours, contact the City of Albany Water Operations at 541-917-7600.  If you call after hours, leave a message including your name, address, telephone number, and a brief description of your problem or request; we will return your call at the soonest opportunity.

Milky white water, also described as cloudy, hazy, soapy, or foamy, is almost always caused by air in the water.  One of the many properties of water is its ability to dissolve gases including air.  Sometimes air comes back out of water in many tiny bubbles; this gives the water a milky white appearance.  Air in your water may be more noticeable with seasonal temperature changes and also after your water has been turned off, then back on.  

To see if the white color in the water is due to air, fill a clear glass with water, set it down and watch it for two or three minutes.  If the white color is due to air, the water will begin to clear at the bottom of the glass first and gradually clear all the way to the top.  This is a natural phenomenon, completely normal, and the water is safe to use.  If your water is cloudy or milky white and it does not clear in a glass after five minutes, call us at 541-917-7600 or email.

Stains or colored films, slime, or residue can be a result of bacteria or an interaction with different metals in household plumbing. While the stains may be bothersome, your water will usually still be safe to drink and use. Regular cleaning with common household cleaners can control stains on sinks or plumbing fixtures. Common stains and their causes include:

• Reddish-brown stains on sink or plumbing fixtures are most often noticed along with brownish water. They are most common in older homes with galvanized pipe, but can be found in homes of any age. Reddish brown stains may indicate high levels of iron from rust in the pipes.
• Blue-green stains on sinks or plumbing fixtures are due to copper in the water from copper plumbing. Typically, this occurs in homes less than two years old. This problem gradually clears up on its own.
• Pink film, usually seen on white bathroom fixtures, commonly occurs from airborne bacteria that grow in moist humid environments such as bathrooms. It is harmless and can be cleaned with a general cleaner.  

Yes.  Your drinking water contains disinfectants to inhibit bacterial growth.  These disinfectants can kill fish.  Appropriate chemicals that neutralize chlorine are available at most pet stores.  Chlorine can also be removed with a granular activated carbon (GAC) water filter.  Chlorine can be removed from the water by letting a container of the water sit exposed to the atmosphere (uncovered) for at least 48 hours.

Some fish, particularly tropical fish and koi, are also sensitive to rapid changes in the temperature and pH of the water – even small changes.  If you are going to change the water in an aquarium or pond or add a significant amount of new water, consult an experienced fish-care expert for tips on how to accomplish this without shocking or killing your fish.

Some people may be concerned that water harmful to fish might not be safe for them to drink.  Humans and fish use water in very different ways.  When humans drink water, the chlorine or chloramines are neutralized by our digestive system before it enters our bloodstream.  When fish “breathe” water, any chlorine or chloramines present enter their bloodstream directly.  This interferes with the fish’s ability to take oxygen from the water and can cause the fish to suffocate.  To further illustrate this point, consider orange juice.  People are urged to drink orange juice for its health benefits.  However, if a fish were placed in a bowl of orange juice it would suffer a swift and unpleasant death due to the juice’s acid content.

The City of Albany can perform some analysis of your water quality depending on your concerns.  To find out what we can offer, call 541-917-7600 or email.  

For more extensive testing, private laboratories can test your tap water for a fee. Not all labs are accredited to test for all contaminants. Click here for a list of accredited labs provided by the Oregon Health Authority.  Be sure to follow the sampling guidelines provided by the laboratory.

Call us at 541-917-7600 or email.  Be sure to visit our websites on Water Quality and Flow & Pressure for more information.