Common Water Problems

At American Water,  we know how important it is to protect the quality of drinking water in your home. Since 1997, we’ve partnered with Kinetico® Water Systems to provide advanced solutions for local water concerns. The way your water tastes, smells, feels and affects you and your household depends on a number of factors, including the quality of your well water, any possible contamination, the age of your water distribution system, your home’s plumbing or any violation of the federal drinking water standards. Many homeowners across Austin and Central Texas deal with ongoing home water problems, especially related to the hard water Texas issues.

Hard Water

To be considered hard water, a water supply must contain high levels of dissolved minerals, usually calcium, magnesium or iron. While it is estimated that around 85% of the United States’s fresh water supply is considered hard water, a number of central Texas communities are considered by the Water Quality Association to have extremely hard water.

In any case, hard water can have a number of persistent and expensive effects upon home owners and their property. Aside from causing dry skin and hair, hard water can damage almost anything it touches, including silverware and glassware, clothing and home appliances.

Cloudy Water

Water that’s cloudy, murky, grayish or otherwise discolored most likely contains high levels of particles dissolved from various solids. In many cases, cloudiness is naturally occurring in a water supply or is caused by a number of land disturbances that may be caused by construction, storms or urban runoff.

While cloudiness may range from low to high, even water that does not appear to be cloudy may, in fact, contain high levels of dissolved particles. With that in mind, we highly recommend that Austin residents have their water tested to ensure there are no particles present in their water.

Smell And Taste Of Chlorine

As a means of improving public health, chlorine is used to kill bacteria in our drinking water, and the pipes used to transport it, since the mid 19th century. While chlorine serves a critical role in ensuring our water distribution systems are free of disease or other dangerous bacteria, it no longer serves a purpose once it reaches your tap.

In addition to tasting and smelling bad, chlorine dries your hair and skin, fades clothing and can substantially shorten the lifespan of home appliances by destroying their rubber seals.

Taste And Odor

Water is naturally without color, taste or odor. Given this, any color, taste or odor in your water may be attributed to the presence of a foreign substance. Some of the more commonly experienced tastes and odors in household water are as follows:

• Earthy, musty taste and odor — Usually associated with the presence of a number of different algae, it typically comes from the compounds released by decaying vegetation that cause water to taste and smell earthy or musty. Though non-toxic, water that tastes or smells this way can be extremely unpleasant, even when a low concentration of algae is present.
• Rotten egg odor — The presence of hydrogen sulfide, a colorless corrosive gas, will cause water to have the odor of rotten eggs. Aside from possibly leaving an unpleasant odor on your clothes and hair, high concentrations of hydrogen sulfite in your water can accelerate the corrosion of anything metal in your appliances.
• Metallic taste — When your water tastes metallic, it’s usually because there are metal particles present, commonly iron, copper, manganese or zinc. While manganese and iron are both found naturally in groundwater, the presence of copper and zinc usually result from corroding copper plumbing and brass fittings or from a water distribution system that needs to be replaced.

Iron And Manganese Staining

As a natural solvent, water will dissolve anything it comes into contact with if given the necessary time and conditions to do so. When water dissolves iron and manganese, it will often leave a rust-orange or black stain on objects it comes into contact with, including sinks, tubs, fixtures, toilets and any other water-using household appliance.

Solve Water Concerns With A Free Test

Our Central Texas / Austin water filter and softener specialists are here to help you identify and solve your home water problems. With over 250 years of combined water treatment experience, American Water can recommend customized solutions designed to meet your needs. Whether you’re dealing with hard water Texas issues, cloudy water, or odor problems, our team can provide the right Kinetico® Water Systems to restore your home’s water quality.

Schedule your free in-home water test today and take the first step toward better water for your family.

Send bad water on its way. Call American Water today.