Cloudy tap water is actually one of the most common reasons people call in a plumber for assistance. Having good-quality drinking water at home is important, and cloudy or whitish water coming out of your tap can cause understandable concern.

As off-putting as it may be for the water that comes from your tap to be anything other than clear, most cloudy water problems are easily explained. With a straightforward explanation, you can easily make necessary upgrades or changes with the help of a professional plumbing service. Take a look at some of the likely causes of cloudy or white water from the faucet.

Air Bubbles

Air bubbles can sometimes be the cause of the cloudy water appearance, and air bubbles are rarely a big concern. You may see higher levels of air bubbles in your faucet water if:

• You've had recent plumbing work and air has become trapped in your lines.
• Issues with city water distribution lines allow more air in than usual.
• You have a leak in your plumbing lines.

To determine if the cloudiness you see in your water is simply due to air bubbles, allow a clear glass of water to sit momentarily to see if the cloudiness dissipates. SF Gate offers a good guide to flushing air from your plumbing lines, but if this doesn't resolve the problem, you may need to call a plumber for help.

High TSS Concentrations

TSS refers to Total Suspended Solids, which is defined as suspended particles in water that do not dissolve. High TSS concentrations can definitely cause you to have cloudy water. The particles can be so tiny that they are difficult to see, but a large collection of them will change the clarity of the water.

High TSS concentrations are most often due to hard water issues, which means the TTS particles in your water are likely minerals like calcium and magnesium. Hard water, of course, can cause a lot of problems with your plumbing, be hard on your skin, and generate problems with your water-related appliances.

Methane Gas

One of the lesser-common culprits behind white or cloudy water is methane gas, even though methane gas is an issue that most people never speculate could be causing odd water-related issues. A few telltale signs that you have methane gas in your water supply include water that has a lot of air bubbles or water that spits and sputters when you turn on the faucet.

Methane gas tends to be an issue only for homeowners who rely on well water. The gas occurs naturally and is hard to detect because the gas has no color, odor, or taste. It sounds scary to have methane gas in your water supply, but to a certain extent, the gas will do no harm. Concentrations of methane gas that are below 10 mg/L are considered safe.

A plumber can help you perform tests on your water to determine how much methane is in it. If concentrations are high, proactive measures should be taken to get rid of some of the gas. For example, you can install a vented well cap or an aeration system for the well system so that some of the gas will be expelled from your water supply.

Cloudy water is a common issue, but that doesn’t mean that it’s an issue that should be ignored, and the problem can point to plumbing issues that need professional attention. If you have issues with cloudy or white water coming from your faucet, reach out to us at Complete Plumbing to find out how we can diagnose and solve your plumbing issue.