Tips and tricks for solving water quality concerns at home
The first step in solving your water quality concerns is to identify whether the problem is coming from your household plumbing or from your utilities.
If problems stem from pressure, color, particles, or odor, many times household plumbing is the culprit. If you find yourself with one of these common complaints, you can troubleshoot at home and save yourself a call to the plumber.
Pressure
Pressure problems usually relate to a lack of maintenance and/or issues related to a home water softener. Changing your water softener from a normal service position to a “bypass” position could increase your water pressure. If it does, you’ll know the water softener is the culprit.
Color
This is another issue that can result from a lack of maintenance and/or other issues with a home water softener. Like with pressure, changing your water softener from normal to “bypass” may help the undesired color goes away. If it does, this means you likely have an issue with your water softener.
Odor
A dirty P-Trap, the curved drain pipe under the sink, can cause odor to vent through the drain and make the water itself seem to smell. A quick flush of your P-Trap could help keep the line odor-free.
Particles
Typically, particles in your water come from stainless steel water lines. While they look like full steel, they are actually rubber hoses surrounded by a steel envelope. The rubber portion can disintegrate over time and end up in your water. This can be fixed by replacing the water line.
Contact
If you are not satisfied with the quality of drinking water, or have a question about drinking water, call the Water Quality Hotline at (813) 264-3835 or file a report.