"blue tinted water" 2

[TravisMack]

Ok...strange question and long...

In our home, in the past month, we have started noticing a distinct blue tint to the water in the house. It is noticed when a bathtub is filled. I have also taken a 5 gallon bucket and filled it from every faucet / spigot in the house. Each time, I get the blue tint to the water. I also get the blue tint when I take water from the exterior spigot that is prior to the distribution system in the house.

I have also filled the bucket from my neighbor's exterior spigots, and get the same thing. Once we get about 2-3" of water in the 5 gallon bucket, you start to notice the blue tint. We have viewed the buckets in house lighting and outside sunlight. All of it has the blue coloration.

The local water provider (municipal source) swears there is nothing in the water that would cause the blue coloring. Since this coloring comes from the neighbor's spigot prior to going through the home distribution system, it leads me to believe that the issue is prior to the home services. Any idea what could be causing this?

 

[ccor]

Bluish water is most commonly caused by either uncontrolled algae in the water system or by heavily corroded copper. Both can be tested for.

 

[bimr]

gree with ccor. Copper will give a blue green color.

However, the local water provider should not have much copper piping in his system. Some plumbers use copper tubing from the street mains into and throughout the home.

Copper corrosion is most likely caused by low pH water.

Let the water supply run for a while to see if it makes any difference. Get a water supply before and after the flushing. Have the water tested for copper.

Try to contact the person in charge of water quality testing at the water provider and discuss your concerns with that person.

Copper is a nutritional requirement. The MCL is 1.3 mg/l. Above 5 mg/l you can develop gastro-intestinal I tract problems.

 

[TravisMack]

I have flushed the entire house. I had a sample before and after. Both had the coloring to it..the neighbors all did the same thing yesterday and all 5 of us had the same color to the water. The water purveyor still swears that there is nothing in their water that could cause a blue tint to the water.

I guess I am off to have it tested.

Thanks!

 

[bimr]

I would suspect that you are not talking to the right person at the water utility.

 

[rconner]

fyi you may be interested in the current it would appear some similar thread on the AWWA Public Discussion forum at

http://www.awwa.org/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=22&threadid=8853.

 

[JimCasey]

I thought my swimming pool was painted robin's egg blue until I drained it. Then I found the entire surface of the pool was white. This was in Florida. THere's so much H2S in the water there that the blue could have been CuSO4.

 

[rday]

I used to do pool maintenance many years ago and remember raising the alkalinity of pools to get that blue color for some customers.

Rik

 

[bimr]

Don't know about alkalinity, but high levels of calcium sulfate will give a blue green color as seen in the waste pond on the left middle of this aerial photo:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...328,-88.354111&spn=0.090687,0.215607&t=k&om=1

http://www.wqa.org/sitelogic.cfm?ID=346

The Water Quality Association : Tools and Resources : Informed Consumer : Blue/Green Water Color

Water Quality Answers
What causes a blue/green color in water?
Ordinarily "blue/green" color in water would be due to copper contamination. The USEPA Safe Drinking Water Standard is 1.3 mg/L for copper.

There are pigmented microorganisms that can colonize in water and impart various colors such as pink or rainbow-like blues and greens - especially on white porcelains in showers and bathrooms. However these stains usually will readily wipe away, and can be eliminated form occurring if the water is chlorinated.

If the blue/green color, on the other hand, causes a stain on fixtures that is tenacious (as hard water spotting would be), then it is likely caused by something inorganic or metallic in the water. Laboratory testing for various inorganic elements may discover the malady.

Low pH

Acidic condition (6.8 down to 5.0 pH) will corrode plumbing, erode porcelain, and put copper or iron in water depending upon type of plumbing. Stains will be blue/green for copper and red/brown for iron. Adjustment of pH from 6.9 down to 6.5 can be done with an acid neutralizer filter which contains calcium carbonate (marble chips) media which slowly dissolves. Requires addition of more media about every two years depending upon pH level.

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~etrnsfer/water.htm

 

[TravisMack]

This is just a very strange situation in the neighborhood. The water, in small samples appears clear. However, in larger volumes (5 gallon bucket or larger), it has the blue coloring to it. It has not stained anything. It has been tested for copper and in well within allowable limits...I think it was .1 mg/L (I don't have the results in front of me).

The water company sent out a rep, and since it is clear in small amounts - drinking glass size - they won't acknowledge anything with it.

I am going to flow the hydrant next to see if it has the blue color as well. Now, it is more of a "what the heck is it" than anything else.

 

[bimr]

TravisMack,

Perhaps you can say whether this water is surface or well water. Surface waters generally have more color than well waters.

Also, what type of treatment does the water undergo at the water utility.

 

[TravisMack]

The water utility said that our area is serviced by 2 wells. I have not been able to get all of the info about what kind of treatment the water undergoes.

 

[bimr]

The source of water is very important to any discussion regarding color.

Who is the utility. Have you seen one of their water bulletins? They should have water information posted online.