What Causes Brown Water?

There are actually many different reasons your water could be brown. Some are harmless, while others could pose a serious health risk. That’s why it’s important to stop using your water until you are able to determine the problem.

Sediment

One of the most benign reasons your water could be brown is an accumulation of sediment or rust. Any kind of disruption to the water system could stir up these particles. This can turn clear water into a murky brew.  Nearby construction and water main breaks are the most likely causes of this type of brown water.  In these cases, the water usually clears up in a few hours. While the water might not look appealing, it would be safe to drink.

Rust

Similarly, issues with the plumbing in your home could also cause brown water.  If you have had issues with your pipes or recent plumbing repairs, this could dislodge rust from older pipes.  Likewise, if you have had to turn off the main water supply, the change in water pressure when the system is turned back on can also stir up rust.  Rust, which is oxidized iron, may make your water taste and look bad.  While rust itself isn’t harmful, it could indicate issues with your pipes which could compromise the quality of your water.

Minerals

Other minerals that can cause a disturbing color change in your water are iron and manganese.  Both of these minerals are naturally found in many of the foods we eat and are considered healthy.  Some people even seek out water that is high in these minerals as a natural supplement to their diet.

Water Heater

Maybe you only have brown water when you turn on the hot water. This might mean that the problem is with your water heater.  An anode rod that isn’t functioning properly can cause a change in water color.

Is Brown Water Safe to Drink?

The safety of brown water is hard to determine without knowing the cause.  Most of the common causes of brown water do not pose a health threat.  However, the brown water could be a sign that there is something else wrong with the water supply.  For example, old rusty pipes could be contributing to the off-color. While the rust itself is not harmful, the damaged pipes could allow the water to become contaminated by bacteria.  The best way to know if brown water is safe to drink is to test it.

TestAssured makes an easy to use testing kit with 10 different tests. The test kit will allow you to determine the quality of your water.  The test results might even help you to identify what is causing your water to turn brown.  Most of the tests will provide results within minutes, with the exception of the bacteria test, which takes two days to develop.

What Should You Do If You Have Brown Water?

The first thing you want to do is determine what is causing the color change in your water.  To find out if the problem is caused by the water supply, call your local utility company and ask if they are aware of any issues.  They typically will provide advanced notice if they will be doing any work that could disrupt the water quality and may advise boiling your water before using it.  If the problem isn’t coming from the main supply, the source could be in your home and may require an inspection by a plumber.

If you are unable to make changes to your water system to clear up the water, an easy solution is a water filter.  There are a number of filters available to fit every need and budget.  You can start with something as simple as a filtered water container to clean water for drinking and cooking or you can go for a full home filtration system.

While drinking brown water probably will not cause health problems, it is important to identify the source as a change in water color could be an indication of other issues.

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Supplies

The first thing you need to do is gather your supplies:

• Test Assured 4 Test Kit Set with TDS Meter
• 4 cups
• 3 dirt samples
• Paper towels

Preparation

To prepare for the tests, you’ll need to make your dirty water samples.  Fill the first cup with plain tap water.  This will be the control that the other samples are measured against.  Put one dirt sample in each of the remaining cups.  Fill the cups halfway with tap water.  You need enough water that the dirt can be easily mixed into the water, but avoid filling the cup too much so you don’t splash dirty water everywhere.  Once each cup has been mixed, you’ll want to wait about a half hour for the dirt to settle to the bottom.

Now is a good time to label your vials and list the sources of your dirty water samples in the results notebook.

Testing

First, you will start with the test for total dissolved solids, using the TDS meter.  Because the meter will not fit in the test vials, it is easier to complete this part of the experiment while your samples are still in the cups.  To perform the TDS test, simply turn on the meter and submerge the prongs in the samples. Rinse the meter with clean water between each test. Record your results in the results notebook. Be sure to read the TDS meter carefully.  High readings will be noted with “x10.”

After completing the TDS test, you will need to pour your samples into the vials you labeled.  Do this over a sink and be sure to wipe up any spills, so you don’t contaminate the test strips.

Before you get started with the tests, now is a good time to make some visual observations. Take notes about how clear or cloudy your samples look.  Are there any visible particles floating in any of the samples?  These observations can be written in the “Notes” on the last page of the results notebook.

Now you’re ready to get started with the rest of the tests. It’s easiest to work with one sample at a time.  Follow these instructions to complete the remaining tests.

Alkalinity/pH/Hardness Test

1. Remove the test strip from the packet labeled, “ALK/pH/Hard”
2. Pick up the strip on the end with no pads
3. Dip the strip in the sample for one second and remove
4. Hold the test strip level and wait 10 seconds
5. Place the strip as shown in the picture and compare to the color chart for alkalinity, pH, and harness
6. Record your results in the results notebook

Total Chlorine/Copper/Nitrate/Nitrite Test

1. Remove the test strip from the packet labeled, “CL/CO/NA/NI”
2. Pick up the strip on the end with no pads
3. Dip the strip in the sample three times and remove – DO NOT SHAKE OFF EXCESS WATER
4. Hold the test strip level for 2 seconds
5. Place the strip as shown in the picture and compare to the color chart for chlorine and copper
6. Wait 45 seconds before reading the results for nitrate and nitrite
7. Record your results in the results notebook

Iron Test (Complete this test last)

1. Remove one iron reagent tablet from the foil packet and place in test vial (the reagent could alter the results of other tests which is why the iron test is completed last)
2. Place the cap on the test vial and shake for approximately one minute, until the tablet is completely dissolved
3. Remove the test strip from the packet labeled, “Iron Test”
4. Dip the strip in the sample for 2 seconds
5. Shake the strip once and wait 60 seconds
6. Place the strip as shown in the picture and compare to the color chart for iron
7. Record your results in the results notebook

Repeat all three tests for each of your samples.  When you are finished don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and water.

Results

Now that you have completed each of the tests on your four samples, it’s time to look at your results.  Ask yourself these questions:

• How did the control sample differ from the dirty water samples?
• Did any of the dirty water samples contain more contamination than the rest?
• What results did you find the most surprising?

Record your answers on the “Notes” page.  If you are doing a science project, create a graph to show your results.  You can also use clear tape to fix the test sticks to the color charts to display your results.

The post Dirty Water – A Fun Science Project for Kids appeared first on .

With TestAssured’s 4 Test Kit Set for Schools and Science Fairs, you can test samples of toilet water and compare them to a control sample of regular tap water. This set includes 4 test kits and can be used by students in third through twelfth grade to perform school science experiments like this one.

Supplies

The first thing you need to do is gather your supplies:

• Test Assured 4 Test Kit Set with TD Meter
• Disposable plastic cups
• Paper towels

Preparation

To prepare for the tests, you’ll need to gather your water samples.  We used tap water for the control and two toilet water samples. We decided to test the toilet water before and after cleaning.  Here are the three samples you need to collect:

1. Tap water for your control
2. Toilet water before cleaning
3. Toilet water after cleaning

Children should be supervised while collecting toilet water samples.  We found that one of the easiest ways to collect toilet water samples was to dip a plastic cup into the water and insert it into another cup to catch any drips.  As an extra precaution, you may want to wear a pair of disposable gloves while conducting this experiment.  We typically do our water test experiments in the kitchen, but for sanitary reasons, we completed this test in the bathroom.

Now is a good time to label your vials and write your water sources in the results notebook.

Testing

The first test you want to start with is for total dissolved solids, using the TDS meter.  The meter will not fit in the test vials, so it is easier to complete this part of the experiment while your samples are still in the plastic cups.  To perform the TDS test, simply turn on the meter and submerge the prongs in the samples. Rinse the meter with clean water between each test. Record your results in the results notebook.  When you have finished the TDS testing, it is a good idea to dip the meter in some bleach water to sanitize it.

After completing the TDS test, you will need to pour your samples into the vials you labeled.  Do this over a sink and be sure to wipe up any spills, so you don’t contaminate the test strips.

Before you get started with the tests, now is a good time to make some visual observations. Take notes about how clear or cloudy your samples look.  Are there any visible particles floating in any of the samples?  These observations can be written in the “Notes” on the last page of the results notebook.

Now you’re ready to get started with the rest of the tests. It’s easiest to work with one sample at a time.  Follow these instructions to complete the remaining tests.

Alkalinity/pH/Hardness Test

1. Remove the test strip from the packet labeled, “ALK/pH/Hard”
2. Pick up the strip on the end with no pads
3. Dip the strip in the sample for one second and remove
4. Hold the test strip level and wait 10 seconds
5. Place the strip as shown in the picture and compare to the color chart for alkalinity, pH, and hardness
6. Record your results in the results notebook

Total Chlorine/Copper/Nitrate/Nitrite Test

1. Remove the test strip from the packet labeled, “CL/CO/NA/NI”
2. Pick up the strip on the end with no pads
3. Dip the strip in the sample three times and remove – DO NOT SHAKE OFF EXCESS WATER
4. Hold the test strip level for 2 seconds
5. Place the strip as shown in the picture and compare to the color chart for chlorine and copper
6. Wait 45 seconds before reading the results for nitrate and nitrite
7. Record your results in the results notebook

Iron Test (Complete this test last)

1. Remove one iron reagent tablet from the foil packet and place in test vial (the reagent could alter the results of other tests which is why the iron test is completed last)
2. Place the cap on the test vial and shake for approximately one minute, until the tablet is completely dissolved
3. Remove the test strip from the packet labeled, “Iron Test”
4. Dip the strip in the sample for 2 seconds
5. Shake the strip once and wait 60 seconds
6. Place the strip as shown in the picture and compare to the color chart for iron
7. Record your results in the results notebook

Repeat all three tests for each of your samples.  When you are finished don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and water.

Results

Now that you have completed each of the four tests on your three samples, it’s time to look at your results.  Ask yourself these questions:

• Was there a difference between the toilet water before and after it was cleaned?
• How did the toilet water samples compare to the tap water sample?
• Do you think it’s harmful for dogs to drink toilet water?
• What results did you find the most surprising?

Record your answers on the “Notes” page.  You can use clear tape to fix the test sticks to the color charts to display your results for your science fair project.

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