5 Reasons Why You’re Finding Sediment in Your Water
Keep your water clean and safe
Sediment in water can come from decomposing plants and animals, and soil erosion.
Signs of sediment in water include a foul smell, bad taste, and gritty texture.
Problems with your water softener, water heater or faucet may cause sediment.
A plumbing professional can install a whole-house water filter to keep sediment out.
There’s nothing quite like a cold, refreshing glass of water—until you experience the gritty, unpleasant taste of sediment. Finding sediment in your water supply typically points towards an issue with one of the water sources coming into your home. It could also be from damaged pipes.
Here are five reasons why you’re finding sediment in the water—and who you can call to deal with the issue ASAP.
1. Your Water Softener Failed to Catch the Sediment
People will often install a water softener in part to catch the large particles that can appear in a city’s water system. If this system fails, you may see small black or white particles coming through your faucets and toilets.
To ensure that the problem doesn’t arise again, contact a local water softener installation company to replace your existing one. You’ll likely need to filter the water in the meantime, and it’s best to only wash clothes if you need them.
2. Your Water Heater is Damaged
Finding rust, minerals, or bacteria only in your hot water is typically a sign that your water heater is about to fail, or it is damaged. To determine if the culprit is your water heater, turn on your cold water, and let it run through roughly five gallons of water. If the problem doesn’t continue, switch back to the hot water and see if the problem reoccurs.
If it does happen again, it’s best to replace your water heater. You can try to drain and flush the water heater to see if the problem continues, but it’s likely only going to be a temporary solution. Before buying a new water heater, hire a local water heater repair service to see if they can fix the problem.
3. Your Well or Spring Water is Polluted
If you’re running off of well or spring water on your property, then you want to ensure that neither has suddenly become polluted or filled with sediment. Sediment in well or spring water can happen from erosion, natural disasters, or pollution seeping in. You’ll want to hire a local well pump repair service for this job, as it’s going to require quite a bit of digging to diagnose the problem.
4. Your Toilet’s Flapper Has Started to Disintegrate
You may only find sediment in the toilet. In this case, if you’ve eliminated all of the above possibilities, it could be your toilet causing the sediment. Over time, constant use of the flapper in your toilet can erode it and cause sediment to appear in the tank water, as well as the toilet bowl.
Thankfully, this is an easy fix and simply means replacing the toilet flapper itself. This is a job you can tackle in about 10 minutes, so long as you have a pair of heavy-duty scissors on hand. If not, you can always call in a local plumber to tackle the job.
5. You Have Mold or Bacteria on the Faucet
If the particles in the water are more green than black, you might be dealing with bacteria or mold growth on the faucet itself. These microbes love moist areas to grow, and with the faucet being a direct water line, it’s not terribly uncommon to have this problem. In fact, one of the most common areas where you’ll find this type of sediment is on your shower head.
For best results, you’ll want to soak the faucet using a combination of white vinegar in a plastic baggie and tie it to the faucet overnight. If it’s a serious problem, you may need to bust out the bleach to tackle the job. First, make a solutionby mixing one tablespoon of bleach with one gallon of water. Then, wipe down your faucet, and rinse it clean with cold water.
It can be safe to drink water with sediment, but even water with trace amounts of uncontaminated sediment can cause issues with your water quality, specifically taste and odor problems. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) describes sediment as loose sand, clay, silt, and other soil particles that settle at the bottom of a body of water. When sediments come from construction sites, farms, mines, or even stormwater, they may be contaminated with pesticides or heavy metals — like lead, arsenic, and mercury. Long-term exposure can cause immune, neurological, and nervous system damage.
You don’t need to remove sediment from your water well. Sediment in your water well is normal. The problem is when the sediment enters your water supply. In this case, look into your pump. The size and placement of your pump can lead to sediment in your water. If it’s too big, it’ll overwork and stir up the sediment at the bottom, pulling it into the pump. If it’s too low, it will pull up the sediment that’s settled at the bottom. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends annual well maintenance to check and test for cleanliness, mechanical problems, and contaminants.
Yes, you should install a water filtration system. It will do more than remove sediments from your water. Filters improve your water quality. They create better-tasting water and purified water for cleaning, cooking, and laundry. Filtered water can increase the lifespan of your pipes, promote healthier hair and skin, and help your clothes last longer.
Yes, you should contact a professional, but not necessarily to remove sediment from your water. If your water supply contains sediments, it will likely always contain them. Instead, you’ll need to install a filtration system that continuously filters your water supply. Whole-house water filters are recommended, but the installation isn’t a beginner-friendly DIY project. Not only will you need the right tools, but you’ll also need a basic understanding of plumbing and the know-how to cut and connect pipes. A hired professional can install your filtration system to your existing plumbing line, and keep your water sediment-free.
