Seeing yellow, brown, blue-green, gray, or cloudy water coming out of your tap is unsettling. The cause is often benign and temporary—but sometimes it signals corrosion, sediment, or a failing component that can stain fixtures, damage appliances, or even pose a health concern. Below, A1 Best Plumbing explains what different colors typically mean, how to fix them, and what our Long Beach Plumbers recommend when discolored water shows up in your home.
Quick Answer
- Brown/yellow/orange usually points to rust or iron—often after nearby hydrant flushing, a main break, or from aging galvanized pipes.
- Blue/green suggests copper corrosion from your plumbing—more serious if persistent.
- Black specks are often deteriorating rubber washers or manganese.
- Cloudy/milky water is usually air and clears from the bottom up—generally harmless.
- Pink residue on fixtures is often a biofilm on surfaces, not in the water itself.
If the discoloration is home-wide, sudden, and affects cold water only, flush cold taps for several minutes. If it persists or only affects the hot side, our Long Beach Plumbers recommend stopping hot-water use and calling A1 Best Plumbing for a safe diagnosis.
Why Water Changes Color: Common Causes by Color
- Yellow to brown (tea-colored to rusty)
- Likely cause: Disturbed iron/rust in city mains (hydrant testing, main repair) or internal corrosion in older galvanized steel pipes.
- Clues: Appears suddenly, especially after nearby street work; often clears after running cold water 5–20 minutes. If it recurs or is isolated to your home, internal piping or your water heater may be shedding rust.
- Risks: Stains laundry and fixtures; typically not a health hazard for most adults when due to iron, but should be investigated if persistent.
- Orange
- Likely cause: Heavier rust load from galvanized pipes, or iron-rich sediment in the water heater.
- Clues: More intense color when you first open a tap after the water sits; may be worse on hot water.
- Action: Our Long Beach Plumbers recommend flushing the water heater and evaluating pipe condition.
- Blue/green tint or stains
- Likely cause: Copper ions from pipe corrosion, often due to low pH, aggressive water, or stray electrical currents.
- Clues: Blue-green stains in sinks/tubs, metallic taste, and discoloration worse after water sits.
- Risks: Elevated copper can cause stomach upset; infants are more sensitive. This is a sign to act quickly.
- Black specks or gray water
- Likely cause: Degrading rubber washers/flexible hoses, manganese, or sediment.
- Clues: Particles feel rubbery; concentrated at certain fixtures.
- Action: Replace supply lines/washer components; consider sediment filtration if widespread.
- Cloudy or milky
- Likely cause: Tiny air bubbles (entrained air) from temperature/pressure changes.
- Clues: Water clears from the bottom up within a minute in a clear glass.
- Risk: Typically harmless; no action needed unless it doesn’t clear.
- Pink residue
- Likely cause: Airborne bacteria (Serratia marcescens) colonizing damp surfaces—not usually in the water supply.
- Action: Clean with a mild disinfectant and improve ventilation; check that your toilet tank and shower are drying between uses.
First Steps to Take When You See Discoloration
Our Long Beach Plumbers recommend a quick, safe triage to pinpoint the source:
- Identify hot vs. cold
- Run cold water only for 1–2 minutes. If clear, switch to hot.
- Only hot is discolored: Focus on the water heater and hot-water piping.
- Both hot and cold: Could be city supply or whole-home piping.
- Try the “clear glass test”
- Fill a clear glass. If cloudiness clears from bottom to top within a minute, it’s air. If color remains, it’s likely sediment, corrosion, or minerals.
- Flush cold taps
- Choose the bathtub (largest line) and run cold water for 5–10 minutes.
- Avoid running hot water during a brown/rust event to prevent pulling sediment into the water heater.
- Check multiple fixtures
- If only one fixture is affected, it may be a local supply line, faucet aerator, or deteriorating washer.
- Inspect aerators and screens
- Remove and rinse them; note if you see rust flakes, sand-like grit, or rubber bits.
- Ask your neighbor and check with the utility
- If neighbors also see brown water, it’s likely a temporary main disturbance. Wait and flush later. Long Beach Water may post notices during hydrant flushing.
If discoloration persists after flushing or shows blue/green tones, our Long Beach Plumbers recommend stopping consumption from that tap and scheduling a professional evaluation.
Long Beach–Specific Factors
- Older galvanized supply lines in classic bungalows can shed rust inside the home.
- Coastal humidity can accelerate corrosion at valves and in unconditioned spaces.
- Seasonal hydrant flushing can temporarily stir up iron in neighborhood mains.
- Mixed plumbing materials (galvanized + copper) without proper dielectric unions can promote galvanic corrosion.
Our Long Beach Plumbers recommend routine water heater maintenance and periodic plumbing inspections if your home was built before the 1980s or you notice recurring color changes.
Is Discolored Water Safe?
- Rusty/brown from iron: Often safe for short-term use but can stain laundry and fixtures. Avoid washing whites until clear.
- Blue/green copper: Avoid drinking until tested and resolved—especially for infants and those with copper sensitivity.
- Black particles (rubber): Typically not harmful but unpleasant; replace degrading parts.
- Cloudy air bubbles: Generally safe.
When in doubt, our Long Beach Plumbers recommend using a certified point-of-use filter (NSF/ANSI 42 for aesthetic, 53 for health contaminants) or bottled water until the issue is identified.
Likely Sources Inside the Home—and Fixes
- Aging galvanized pipes
- Symptom: Recurrent brown/orange water, low pressure, rust flakes in aerators.
- Fix: Strategic repipe with copper or PEX. Whole-home filters can help but won’t stop internal scaling.
- Water heater sediment or corrosion
- Symptom: Only hot water discolors; popping sounds in tank.
- Fix: Drain and flush annually; replace anode rod; consider a powered anode; replace tanks with advanced corrosion protection if nearing end-of-life.
- Deteriorating rubber hoses and washers
- Symptom: Black specks, especially at individual fixtures or appliances.
- Fix: Replace with braided stainless steel connectors and new washers.
- Copper corrosion (blue/green)
- Symptom: Metallic taste, blue-green staining.
- Fix: Test water pH and copper; check bonding/grounding; add a neutralizing system if pH is low; correct stray current; replace severely pitted lines.
- Sediment intrusion
- Symptom: Grit or sand after service disruptions.
- Fix: Install a sediment prefilter (5–20 micron) before sensitive fixtures and appliances.
Our Long Beach Plumbers recommend pairing repairs with a simple maintenance plan: annual heater flush, periodic aerator cleaning, and a quick quarterly check of supply hoses and shutoff valves.
When to Call A1 Best Plumbing vs. the Water Utility
- Call the utility (Long Beach Water) if:
- Discoloration is sudden and neighborhood-wide.
- You observed city hydrant flushing, main work, or a known outage.
- Call A1 Best Plumbing if:
- Only your home is affected or the problem persists after flushing.
- Discoloration is isolated to hot water.
- You see blue/green stains or metallic-tasting water.
- You find recurring black particles at specific fixtures.
- Your home has old galvanized piping or mixed-metal connections.
Our Long Beach Plumbers recommend documenting with photos, noting time of day, which taps are affected, and whether hot/cold differ—this speeds diagnosis.
Preventive Tips to Keep Water Clear
- Flush after main disturbances
Run cold bath taps for several minutes before using hot water.
- Service the water heater annually
Drain/flush, inspect the anode, and keep temperature around 120°F to balance scaling and safety.
- Upgrade vulnerable components
Replace rubber supply lines with braided stainless; use dielectric unions on mixed-metal joints.
- Install point-of-entry filtration
A sediment filter can capture rust and grit; add carbon filtration for taste/odor if desired.
- Plan for repiping if needed
If galvanized lines repeatedly cause rust, repiping may be the most cost-effective long-term solution.
Our Long Beach Plumbers recommend a quick water quality check during annual plumbing inspections, especially in older homes.
Final Thoughts & Next Steps
Most discolored water events are short-lived and related to harmless sediment or air. But persistent brown/orange, blue/green, or particle-laden water points to internal corrosion, failing components, or water heater issues that deserve prompt attention. For a fast, accurate diagnosis and a clear solution, contact A1 Best Plumbing.
Our Long Beach Plumbers recommend starting with a hot-vs.-cold test and a brief flush; if color remains or you see blue/green staining, we’ll perform targeted testing, inspect critical components, and restore your water to clean, clear, and safe—quickly and professionally.