Colors and
Smells

Noticeable water problems tend to involve unusual colors,
smells, and tastes. Once identified, these aesthetically
displeasing elements can be eliminated using a variety of
different methods. Federal
guidelines are set up to monitor these aesthetic problems.

Taste and Odor

Since taste and odor work together it is often difficult to
distinguish the two. Common complaints include:

1. Strong Chlorine taste or smell – Generally
   this occurs when the water is treated at the water
   treatment plant to disinfect it. The addition of chlorine
   is used to kill off bacteria and other harmful
   microorganisms (2).
2. Metallic taste – Some water systems
   have a high mineral concentration giving the consumer a
   salty or soda taste. In the case of Iron and Manganese, a strong metallic
   taste is readily detected (1).
3. Rotten egg odor
   – This is usually a result of decaying organic
   deposits underground . As water flows through these
   areas, hydrogen sulfide gas is picked up, and when this
   water reaches the surface or comes out of the faucet, the
   gas is released into the air. Hydrogen sulfide gas
   produces the rotten egg odor, can be corrosive to
   plumbing at high concentrations, and can tarnish silver
   rapidly. In large enough quantities, it is toxic to
   aquarium fish. As little as 0.5 PPM
   (parts per million) can be tasted in drinking water
   (1,2).
4. Musty or unnatural smells – These
   smells are normally a result of organic matter or even
   some pesticides in the water supply. Even very low
   amounts can introduce unpleasant odors into the
   water  (1).
5. Turpentine taste or odor – This smell can
   be a result of MTBE
   contamination in your water. The odor threshold of MTBE
   is fairly low, so even though you can smell it, the MTBE
   is more than likely not at a level to cause harmful
   effects.

Color

“Clean” water should be clear with no noticeable
color deposits. Common colors include:

1. Red or Brown Color – A red, brown or
   rusty color is generally indicative of iron or manganese in your water.
   Disadvantages to iron in your water include stains in
   sinks, or discolored laundry (1,2).
2. Yellow Color – This coloration
   occurs in regions where the water has passed through
   marshlands and then moved through peat soils. In the
   United States, these conditions occur in the Southeast,
   Northwest, New England, and Great Lakes regions. It is
   more commonly found in surface water supplies and shallow
   wells. Although the yellow color may be displeasing, it
   presents no health hazard, as it is only small particles
   suspended in the water (2).
3. Blue or Green Color – A green or
   blue color is generally a result of copper in your water
   supply, or copper pipes and corrosive water (1). The
   copper can cause staining of your fixtures and your
   laundry. Copper is regulated in drinking water by the EPA
   at 1.3 PPM.
   This is at a low enough concentration that the copper
   cannot be tasted (the taste threshold is around 5 PPM).
   Copper can become a problem  if it is higher than 30
   PPM in your water. Effects at this dose are vomiting,
   diarrhea, and general gastrointestinal distress (3). If
   you are using well water as your primary source of water,
   and copper is a concern in your area, it would be to your
   advantage to have your water tested for copper.
4. Cloudy White or Foamy – Cloudy water is
   usually due to turbidity. Turbidity is caused by finely
   divided particles in the water. When light hits the
   water, it is scattered, giving a cloudy look to the
   water. The particles may be of either organic or
   inorganic nature. Neither one causes any harmful effects
   to the body, although they can cause abrasions to pipes,
   or possible staining of sinks (2).

References:

1. Siouxland Home Page. A service of
   Siouxland, an assembly of Midwestern organizations on the
   Internet.
   http://www.siouxlan.com/siouxlan/commercial/water/faq.html#tsO
2. Water Review Technical Brief, (1991)
   Volume 6, No. 4; a publication of the Water Quality
   Research Council.
3. Toxicological Profile for Copper. U.S.
   Department of Health and Human Services. Agency for Toxic
   Substances and Disease Registry. December 1990.

This page was prepared by S.L. Keyser, UCD EXTOXNET
FAQ Team
June 1997