Introduction to Water Quality Issues
Water quality issues greatly affect your quality of life. From discoloured water flowing from your tap, to unpleasant odours or tastes, these issues are not only annoying but can also pose health risks if contaminants are present. Plumbers are critical in pinpointing and fixing household plumbing issues.
A range of factors can impact the water entering your home, thereby affecting your family’s health.
When a water quality problem can affect your home, a licensed plumber has the skills and experience to methodically diagnose issues and implement solutions. Regular inspections and maintenance by plumbers guarantee that your tap water is clean, safe, and of optimum quality.
Our expertise allows us to resolve tap water problems, replace faulty components, install filtration systems, and ensure regulatory compliance for potable water.
Common Causes of Poor Water Quality
There are several factors that can lead to poor water quality in homes:
- Old or rusted water pipes can deteriorate over time, leading to rust, corrosion, and mineral buildup, which affect water taste, appearance, and quality.
- Contaminants entering the water from your tap - External pollutants from agriculture, industry or ground disturbances outside your private plumbing can invade the sewer connection point, letting tap water be compromised by bacteria, chemicals or sediment.
- Disruption to water supply infrastructure can introduce sediment and organic materials into the water through construction activities, breaks, power outages, or maintenance work.
- Inadequate water treatment - Insufficient filtration, disinfection faults at municipal treatment plants or within homes can permit contaminants into your drinking water.
- Cross-connections - Backflows between potable plumbing and non-potable sources like irrigation systems can pollute drinking water.
Issues such as dirty tap water, unusual odours, discoloration, and a metallic taste signal potential water quality and health concerns. As licensed professionals, plumbers are tasked with They diagnose issues through inspections of pipes in your home, testing, implement solutions such as filters and repairs, and ensure compliance with safety regulations to keep water safe to drink.
Hard Water Issues
Brown tap water often results from high calcium and magnesium levels in hard water, causing visible fixture buildup.
Mineral buildup from hard water can discolor your water and also cause several related problems:
- Clogged pipes and fixtures - Scale buildup narrows pipes, blocking water flow, potentially causing leaks and water pressure issues. Maintaining showerheads, faucets, and toilet valves can prevent clogging.
- Damage to plumbing and appliances - Hard brown water can erode washers, valves, and seals over time as you wash your dishes or laundry, potentially exacerbating issues with discolouration. Your hot water system works harder with more than just lower efficiency, which will be reflected in your bills.
- Bathing in hard water can leave mineral residues that dry out and irritate skin and hair.
- Spotty dishes and laundry - Soap reacts with hard water minerals resulting in film, spots and dingy looking laundry.
While water softeners are beneficial, scale inhibitors, which reduce mineral buildup using electromagnetic waves, offer a worthwhile alternative. Plumbers will assess your plumbing for hard water damage, replace compromised parts, and suggest long-term preventative measures.
Old and Corroded Pipes
Corroded old metal pipes can degrade water quality from your taps and compromise the safety of water. As your old iron pipes, copper pipes, brass or iron pipes age, corrosion causes rusting and the buildup of sediment, affecting the taste, colour and safety of water.
Signs your property may have old corroded pipes include:
- Brown water taps – Rust particles give water a reddish, brown or yellow tinge
- Metallic taste and chemical smell – Corrosion leaches metals like iron, zinc, manganese, and lead into water
- Low water pressure – Narrowed, mineral-clogged pipes restrict water flow
- Frequent leaks or bursts – Weakened, rust-pitted pipes are prone to fail
Ideally, fully replacing affected pipelines should be done promptly, especially in older homes that haven’t undergone plumbing upgrades. Pipe relining can be another option to fix the problem with your plumbing in some cases.
Role of Plumbers in Addressing Water Quality
Professional plumbers, through extensive training, can identify and fix rusted plumbing, ensuring your drinking water isn’t compromised by faulty pipes. They have the skills and tools to:
- Thoroughly inspect plumbing systems and detect potential causes of contamination like pipe corrosion, cross-connections or backflows.
- Take water samples and have them analysed at accredited labs to find out if there are any bacteria, viruses, chemicals, sediments or other harmful contaminants.
- Determine if problems stem from issues with city supply lines or your internal plumbing system.
- Replace severely corroded old piping with new pipes to eliminate corrosion and leaks.
- Install specific filtration solutions tailored to the contaminants present, including systems like reverse osmosis filters or UV disinfection units.
- maintain adherence to all local standards and health regulations governing Australian drinking water.
- Advise on leak repairs, pipe relining solutions, water pressure corrections and other remedies.
With routine inspections, testing and preventative maintenance, plumbers play a pivotal role in ensuring your water is safe to drink, by helping you inspect your pipes, identifying risks early and implementing appropriate solutions.
Testing and Diagnosing Water Quality Issues
When water quality issues arise, plumbers have the expertise to accurately test and diagnose potential causes impacting your water supply through various methods:
- Visual inspection of plumbing - Check pipes up to 1 metre around your property boundary, fixtures, and water heater for leaks, corrosion, buildup
- Water pressure tests - Low pressure indicates obstruction somewhere in plumbing
- Water sampling and lab testing – Detailed analysis of microbiological, chemical and mineral content
- pH testing - Incorrect pH levels can corrode pipes and pose health risks
- Diagnostic dye tests - Add tracer dye to isolate origin of leaks or contaminant entry points
These diagnostic processes assist plumbers in identifying specific contaminants or underlying issues with your tap water. We can then advise on suitable solutions whether it’s installing a filtration system, replacing pipes sections, performing repairs to stop leaks or routine maintenance to optimise water quality and prevent future problems.
As licenced specialists, We manage all testing, reporting, and compliance documentation. With preventative maintenance and early issue detection, plumbers help uphold water quality over time for the health of your household and safety.
Installing and Repairing Solutions
After pinpointing the root cause of water quality issues, plumbers can implement various solutions to restore safe drinking water in your home.
Plumbers commonly install water filters to rectify issues such as brown water and enhance water quality.
- Water softeners - These systems remove mineral ions from hard water only, addressing buildup in pipes and fixtures.
- Reverse osmosis systems - Utilise advanced filtration to purify water from hot tap by eliminating contaminants from incoming supply lines.
- UV sterilisers or filters - Assist with the water coming your home and help control bacteria and neutralise harmful microorganisms.
- Backflow preventers - Special valves installed at the connection point of water lines to stop non-potable water sources from mixing with clean household water.
- Sediment filters - Traps suspended particulates behind a physical barrier.
- Scale inhibitors - Devices using electromagnetic waves to control mineral deposit buildups.
For extensive refits, we advise replacing entire sections of corroded and mineral-laden pipes. Epoxy barrier pipe linings can also rehabilitate pipes without the need to dig them up.
On top of installations, plumbers repair issues like leaks, seal cracks, replace worn fixtures or valves allowing contaminants in, adjust water pressure and other maintenance to restore water quality and flow.
We handle all permitting, documentation and compliance aspects of work performed on your pipes; please rest assured, we give you peace of mind that your plumbing meets all drinking water safety laws and health regulations.
DIY Ways to Improve Water Quality
Homeowners can complement professional plumbing services with DIY measures to boost their water quality:
- Install affordable faucet-mount or fill jug style filters to remove sediments and any chlorine added to the water supply.
- To clear up any stagnant water, flush pipes by running all water taps for 5 minutes after extended periods of non-use until the water runs clear.
- Check for leaks, drips or cracks and repair them to prevent contaminants entering.
- Annually drain and flush your tank water heater to prevent sediment buildup from regular use, which can significantly impact performance.
- Upgrade old corroded piping like lead or galvanised steel lines.
- Don’t use pesticides, fertilisers or hazardous chemicals near wells or water tank areas.
For assistance with ongoing water quality issues or to verify water safety, please engage a local plumber for expert analysis and recommendations.
When to Call a Professional Plumber
It’s essential for your family’s wellbeing to contact a licensed plumber promptly if you’re facing any issues with your household water:
- Discoloration such as brown tap water issues, yellow or red tinged water
- Cloudiness, air bubbles or sediment in water
- Foul taste or strange odours
- Leaks, cracks or pipe bursts near the stop tap that may appear due to weak piping within a few hours
- Complete loss of water does clear after correcting the issue
- Low water pressure or flow problems
Plumbers have specialised expertise in diagnosing the root causes affecting your cold hot water quality. They can methodically troubleshoot and test to pinpoint problems, identify contaminants, check for infrastructure faults or damage that may require repairs or replacements.
Don’t delay addressing water issues; our emergency team is prepared to tackle the health risks and minor leaks or cracks before they escalate. Preventative maintenance also keeps water infrastructure functioning optimally for quality and flow.
To enhance your water quality, water flow, pressure, or address plumbing issues, email us or call 1300 349 338 to book a visit from our Leichhardt plumbers.
Preventative Plumbing Maintenance
Preventative maintenance is crucial for optimising and maintaining water quality over time. By scheduling routine plumbing check-ups and repairs before major issues arise, plumbers can detect early signs of contamination or infrastructure damage.
Essential preventative measures encompass:
- Annual testing for water contaminants, pipe corrosion, and checking your water meter
- Replacing old pipes and fittings prone to rust and hazards
- Clearing mineral deposits and sediment buildup
- Confirming backflow valves, water softeners, and filters are working effectively
- Checking for hidden leaks and early corrosion
- Ensuring water pressure and flow is adequate
Regular maintenance by plumbers establishes water quality, system condition, and flow rate baselines for early anomaly detection and resolution. This helps optimise the safety of drinking water, avert more costly emergency repairs down the track and extend the working life of plumbing systems.
For preventative plumbing maintenance or water quality troubleshooting, please email us or call 1300 349 338 to book an inspection with our Leichhardt plumbers.
