Frequently Asked Questions

The taste of drinking water is affected by its mineral content as well as the presence of chlorine, which is used to protect against potential bacterial contamination. Sometimes plumbing can cause a metallic flavor, especially if the water has been sitting in pipes for many hours. Taste, however, does not indicate a higher or lower degree of water quality.

Musty or earthy odors can be caused by harmless algae in the water, especially during the hot summer months. Even after chlorine has been added to disinfect the water, these odors may persist. Also, a common mistake many make is to confuse odors from their sink drain with the smell of their tap water. The technical name for the chemicals produced by most odor-causing algae is 2-methylisoborneol {MIB) and geosmin. However, even at extremely low levels, such as 5 parts per trillion, highly sensitive people can still taste or smell them. When a large algae bloom occurs, more people detect an issue. Algae-related water quality issues usually clear up in a few days.

Solvent-like odors are often associated with work activities around the home. Recent work on irrigation systems, for instance, can lead to smells related to PVC glue. These odors can be fed back into the home as internal water use draws small amounts of water out of the irrigation system and into the interior plumbing. Solvent odors due to irrigation work are generally short-lived and can be removed by flushing water through the home's faucets.

When experiencing a rotten egg type odor at the tap, the first step is to attempt to isolate the source of the odor. First, check to see if the odor is present at all taps or just one. If the odor is present at only one tap, the source of the odor is most likely the drain in that sink, shower or bathtub. All the plumbing fixtures in your home receive water from the same source. Therefore, if the water is the source of the odor, it would be present at all the taps. Food particles, hair and other items tend to build up in drains forming bacterial gases and causing a 'rotten egg' odor. To remove the odor from drain traps (only for homes not on septic systems), pour½ cup of household (unscented) bleach into the drain. Most bathroom sinks have an overflow drain. Cleaning this area can be accomplished by filling the sink with a diluted bleach solution to the point of the solution flowing into the overflow.

If you only smell the odor when you run the hot water, the problem is likely with your water heater. If the anode rod in the water heater goes bad, it can introduce a sulfur smell into the hot water supply inside your home. Chemicals in the water can react to the anode, resulting in a sulfur smell indoors. If you have a water softener, you're at an increased risk of the anode having a chemical reaction to other elements in the water. Consult a licensed plumber for a professional recommendation.

Poway water is hard water, which means it is high in mineral content and can cause white spots on glassware or silverware in your dishwasher and buildup on showerheads. These spots are mainly calcium deposits and are not harmful to health. The mineral content of water is described in grains of hardness. Water with 10 or more grains of hardness is considered hard. A water's "hardness" is a measure of the amount of certain minerals that are dissolved in the water, such as calcium. Depending on varying sources and system flows, the hardness of the City's water averages 15.8 grains per gallon {gpg).

If your water appears dirty or muddy, it may be due to maintenance within the city distribution system. Sand or sediment in the water lines is commonly caused by routine flushing of the distribution system through the fire hydrants. This is a routine preventive maintenance activity conducted regularly by the City of Poway Public Works Utilities Team. Flushing the water system on a routine basis removes sediment from lines and keeps the entire distribution system refreshed. Crews post signs in the areas in which they are working to help make customers aware of the preventive maintenance activity. As a result of the flushing procedure, residents in the immediate vicinity of the work may experience temporary discoloration of their water. This discoloration consists primarily of harmless silt and precipitates and does not affect the safety of the water. If you experience discoloration in your water after crews have been flushing in your neighborhood, clear the pipes in your own home by running all water faucets for a minute or two. If a few minutes of internal flushing does not seem to improve the water clarity, please call us at (858) 668-4751.

The most common cause of black particles in tap water is the disintegration of rubber materials used in plumbing fixtures. These particles float and often adhere to sinks and bathtubs and can appear sooty or greasy. Rubber gaskets and hoses connected to water heaters and washing machines can disintegrate over time and some pieces can collect in tubs, toilet tanks, faucets and other locations. Homeowners should make sure they select plumbing components that are compatible with the drinking water supply.

Cloudy or milky (white) water is usually caused by an abundance of small air bubbles in the water. These harmless bubbles enter the water when air is drawn into the water distribution system. The air bubbles in a freshly filled glass of cold water will usually clear after a few minutes.

The Lead and Copper Rule is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandated rule that became effective on December 7, 1992. This rule requires treatment when lead and/or copper in drinking water exceeds certain levels.

Lead enters drinking water mainly from the corrosion of lead containing household plumbing. Since lead and copper contamination generally occur after water has left the public distribution system, the best way to check if your water is contaminated is to test water from a household faucet. Monitoring by the City is required every three years, where a minimum of 30 homes are sampled and the certified results are sent to the state.

Lead and copper have not been a problem in the Poway distribution system, based on past monitoring results.

The hot water heater is often the cause of several common water quality complaints. Unmaintained hot water heaters can produce water that is brown, black, has unidentifiable particles, and/or has a musty or rotten egg odor. Consult a licensed insured plumber for professional recommendations.

Water treatment devices such as charcoal filters, softeners, and reverse osmosis systems are intended to improve water quality. However, without proper preventative maintenance, a water treatment device can degrade the quality of your water. Unmaintained devices can create odor, taste, color, and even bacteriological problems in household water systems. It is critical that periodic maintenance is performed per manufacturer's recommendations. If the problem persists with the water, please call us at 858-668-4751.