Water Quality Concerns

Quality Concerns

KC Water ensures the delivery of high-quality, great-tasting water through special treatment to manage taste, odor, and color. The Missouri River’s water quality is influenced by various natural factors such as droughts, rains, leaves, temperature changes, melting snow, and reservoir releases.

These factors can sometimes cause earthy or musty odors, off flavors, a greenish tint, or cloudiness in the water. Despite these changes, KC Water conducts continuous monitoring and extensive laboratory testing to guarantee the safety of the water, meeting all state and federal drinking water standards.

Cloudy/ Discolored Water

Cloudy water is often caused by tiny air bubbles trapped in the tap water due to cold temperatures or recent work on the water line. These bubbles are harmless and will clear if you let the water sit for a minute.
Discolored water, usually due to rust from old pipes, is not harmful but looks unpleasant. Home plumbing can also cause the water to stay discolored for a while. Disturbances like recent work on the water line or service shutoffs can cause the water to look reddish or rusty, but this should clear after running the water for a minute.

Cloudy/Milky: If you see that your water looks cloudy or white, let it sit for a minute to check for air bubbles. If the bubbles clear from the bottom, it means there is air trapped in your water system. To fix this, you should run the taps to flush out the air and cloudy water. Keep doing this until the water runs clear.

Yellow/Orange/Brown: If your water looks yellow, orange, or brown but clears up after running it for a few minutes, it might be rusty water from your pipes. This usually happens after the water has been sitting in the pipes unused for a while. Iron isn’t harmful but can stain fixtures.

Running the water for a while can often clear it up (you can use the rusty water for plants).

If only the hot water is discolored, your hot water tank might be rusting. Flushing the tank can help clear out the sediment at the bottom (ask a plumber or check your water heater’s manual).

Over time, rust and minerals can build up in the water lines and get disturbed, entering your plumbing system. This can happen due to:

Water sitting in pipes and oxidizing
A surge in water flow from increased demand
The fire department using hydrants
Water line repairs resuming

Sudden Discolored Water: If your water suddenly becomes discolored, it might be due to something disturbing the water flow in the City’s water main, like using a fire hydrant or a water main valve nearby. The discoloration usually comes from rust and sediment in the pipes being stirred up. It’s best to wait until the water clears before drinking it. Try running cold water for a few minutes to see if it clears up. If it doesn’t, run cold water from an outside tap or in your bathtub/shower. If you live on a dead-end line, it might take longer to clear. You can also remove and clean your faucet aerators.

Black Specs: Oily, smudgy debris in water usually means a flexible rubber hose in your plumbing is breaking down, often due to chlorine corrosion. The flex hose leading to the water heater is commonly the issue, and replacing the hose solves it. Newer hoses have a water disinfectant-resistant lining, or you can use a copper pipe instead.

Home water filter systems often use granular activated carbon in their cartridges, which are hard particles resembling large coffee grounds. If you find this residue in your tap water, check the manufacturer’s instructions, as the cartridge will likely need to be replaced.

Bright Intense Color: A bright intense color such as blue may indicate a cross-connection of some type and should be tested immediately. A cross-connection may occur in the building itself or in a nearby structure. The customer should be advised not to drink the water until the problem has been cleared up and the water tested and found to be safe.

Pink Color: Water with a pink hue might be due to high concentrations of Sodium Permanganate or Potassium Permanganate, which are used to treat taste and odor issues in the water. While high concentrations causing a pink hue is rare, if it happens, notify the water treatment plant.

Sediment: Sediment in water can come from several sources:

Work on the distribution system, such as main breaks or new construction.
Leaks in the distribution system, or customer service line.
The hot water heater, if sediment is only in the hot water.
Backflow from a garden hose.

Gray Sediment: Discolored water often comes from hot-water tanks in private systems. If only the hot water is discolored, it’s likely from the water tank. Hot-water tanks should be flushed regularly to remove rust, sediment, and scale. Dip tubes in hot-water tanks can also cause problems as they deteriorate, adding white to gray pieces to the hot water.

Water Stains: Pink, pinkish-orange, or black rings can form around sink fixtures, drains, dog bowls, and toilets. These rings are made up of yeast, mold, and/or bacteria that thrive in moist conditions. To reduce their occurrence, clean more often, especially in summer when humidity and warmth increase microbial growth.

Reddish-orange stains on fixtures that are hard to remove are usually from galvanized iron plumbing. Fixing leaks or cleaning more often can help. Old tubs and sinks with worn surfaces need more effort to clean. Rust removal compounds are available but must be used carefully to avoid damaging porcelain finishes.

Taste & Odor

Our ability to taste and smell is remarkable, often surpassing modern technology. Sensitivity to tastes and odors varies based on genetics, age, and exposure. Earthy tastes or odors in water are typically due to organic materials and compounds in the river source water. These issues are most common in spring and fall, when temperature changes cause the water to “turn over” and stir up sediment from the river bottom. Odd tastes and smells can also result from algae and plant blooms in the river, and sometimes unharmful odors may persist even after treatment.

Sulfur: If the odor is coming from one sink, try using vinegar, baking soda, or drain cleaner to clear it. Take a clean glass of cold water outside to see if the odor persists. If it doesn’t, the sink’s trap may be the source; flush at least a gallon of water in all drains. Sometimes a dry trap in another area can cause odors in a different sink. If the odor is only in the hot water, have someone service or flush the water tank. The magnesium rod in the tank may need to be replaced with an aluminum rod.

Plastic: One possible source is from plastic pipes (ex: PVC, PEX) used for building & home plumbing. When water has sat stagnant in the plastic pipes, it may absorb some of the odor from the piping. To help alleviate the problem, flush the pipes before using the water for drinking or cooking.

Chlorine: If your water tastes or smells like chlorine, it is safe to drink. Chlorine is added to prevent bacterial growth. To reduce chlorine taste and odor, let the water sit overnight or use a carbon filter. If recent work has been done in the area, crews may over-chlorinate lines to disinfect them and flush hydrants afterward.

Musty/Earthy or Stagnant Odors: Seasonal changes can make the river muddy with silt and organic matter, causing earthy, musty odors and a greenish tint in drinking water. These natural changes are harmless and vary based on individual senses, lasting from a few days to weeks. Dead ends in distribution systems may accumulate organic material, leading to musty, earthy, or stagnant odors due to decomposition.

Flat Taste: When water hardness decreases, it may taste flat due to fewer minerals, especially after heavy spring rains. A flat taste can also result from extended periods of disuse or vacancy. To address this, thoroughly flush the water lines, with larger buildings needing more extensive flushing.