What To Do If You Discover Discolored Drinking Water: RWA

By Jack Kramer, Correspondent

HAMDEN, CT – Some Hamden residents are having problems with discolored drinking water and the Regional Water Authority is urging people to contact the authority if they notice problems.

The RWA issued the following suggestions to those impacted:

“Some people may be more vulnerable to substances in drinking water than the general population.

“Those people who are Immuno-compromised, such as people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, those who have undergone organ transplants, have HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infections.

“These people should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking discolored water. It is a personal choice whether or not to use the discolored water. If you choose to drink it, fill a container, put it in your refrigerator to chill and let the color settle to the bottom. When ready to drink, use the clear water from the top of the container.

“What should I do if my water is discolored?

“If the water is lightly discolored (the color of a brown paper bag or lighter), try running a cold water faucet located at the highest point in the house (for example, a second floor bathtub) for five to 10 minutes to clear out internal plumbing.

“Flush your toilets two or three times. If the initial cold water flush does not clear up the problem, wait about an hour and repeat flushing. This amount of water use should not affect your water bill. If you live in a condominium complex or apartment building and experience discolored water, you may want to contact your superintendent and suggest they contact the RWA about flushing within the complex.

“You can also remove the aerator on the faucet (located directly under the faucet where the water comes out) with your fingers or pliers by twisting it to the left. Clean the small screen in the aerator and flush the faucet out with cold water.

“Avoid running hot water if the cold water is discolored. This will minimize filling the hot water tank with the discolored water.

“If the cold water remains discolored, please contact the RWA at 203-562-4020 or email ask.info@rwater.com so a crew can be dispatched to find the cause of the discolored water. Even if you are in an apartment or don’t pay your water bill directly, it’s important to notify us of any potential problem.”

Image via Shutterstock