Plumbing topics · Problem
Water taste, smell and safety
Chlorine taste, cloudy water, slime in drains, arsenic and lead: what is normal for Valley tap water and when testing or treatment makes sense.
Answers (114)
- Are brand-name RO systems better than a 5-stage system?
- Are copper pipes safe for drinking water?
- Can an Arizona public water system blend water sources to comply with a contaminant limit?
- Can an Arizona public water system use POU or POE devices for drinking-water compliance?
- Can Arizona child care facilities get free lead testing?
- Can I reuse a container for emergency drinking-water storage?
- Do Arizona schools have to test drinking water for lead?
- Do home filters remove microplastics from tap water?
- Do plumbing part quality and brand matter?
- Does an NSF 372 lead-free valve also meet NSF 61 drinking-water requirements?
- Does Phoenix tap water have PFAS? What filter removes it?
- Does reverse osmosis remove PFAS from Arizona water?
- How do I find an Arizona-certified laboratory for my drinking-water test?
- How do I read my tap water quality report?
- How do I remineralize RO water for better taste?
- How do I tell if I have lead pipes and what should I do?
- How do I test my home's water for lead?
- How do schools fix fountains that test high for lead?
- How does a boil-water advisory affect restaurant operations?
- Is a rotten egg smell in my tap water harmful?
- Is alkaline water worth it?
- Is bad or discolored water the city's problem or mine?
- Is brown or yellow tap water safe to drink or shower in?
- Is drinking water safe in the West Valley cities?
- Is it safe to drink from a garden hose?
- Is limescale in drinking water harmful?
- Is my home's water pure and how can I tell?
- Is Phoenix tap water safe to drink?
- Is PVC pipe safe for drinking water?
- Is there arsenic in Arizona drinking water?
- Is there sodium in Phoenix tap water? Do softeners add it?
- Is warm tap water safe for drinking or baby formula?
- What are the black specks in my tap water?
- What contaminants are common in Arizona well water?
- What contaminants are in Arizona tap water?
- What is the black slime in my sink drain or faucet?
- What is the pink slime in my shower or toilet?
- What removes heavy metals from tap water?
- What should I do during a boil-water notice?
- What to do with a softener in a boil advisory?
- Where can car wash and detailing wastewater drain?
- Where does Surprise, AZ get its drinking water?
- Why are there rust stains in my sinks and tubs?
- Why do I have blue-green stains in my sink or tub?
- Why do I still taste chlorine right after installing a new carbon filter?
- Why does my Phoenix tap water taste like chlorine?
- Why does my tap water taste like metal?
- Why does my water taste metallic after a new water heater?
- Why does Phoenix tap water taste musty or earthy in fall?
- Why does Phoenix tap water taste worse in summer?
- Why does tap water taste salty after my softener regenerates?
- Why is my cold tap water hot in a Phoenix summer?
- Why is my tap water brown or discolored?
- Why is my tap water cloudy or milky?
- Why is only my hot water brown or discolored?
- Why is RO water cloudy right after new filters are installed?
- Will a larger or second RO storage tank solve running out of drinking water?
- How should a small drinking-water system build an asset inventory and replacement plan?
- How do I verify a water filter is certified for my specific contaminant?
- Do I get my water from SRP or the city in Phoenix?
- Do new faucets contain lead and what does NSF/ANSI 61 mean?
- Does reverse osmosis remove healthy minerals from water?
- Does the light on my RO faucet measure water quality or just remind me to change filters?
- How far apart must water and sewer lines be (the 10-foot rule)?
- How hard is Phoenix's water?
- How should I restart a reverse osmosis system after a long period without use?
- Is a chlorine-reduction filter also certified to reduce chloramine?
- What is a cross-connection and why is it dangerous?
- What is purple pipe (reclaimed water)?
- What is the black sludge in my toilet tank?
- What water treatment systems suit Valley homes?
- Why does my toilet bowl get black stains?
- Do water softeners work with Arizona hard water?
- Does my business need a commercial reverse osmosis system?
- How do I prepare an Arizona public water system for a sanitary survey?
- How do UV, carbon and RO water purification differ?
- How often should a whole-house water filter be changed?
- How should an Arizona public water system use a source-water assessment to plan protection?
- How should I arrange lab tests before and after a home water filter?
- Is a reverse osmosis system worth it?
- Should you close the toilet lid when you flush?
- What are the problems with galvanized steel pipes?
- What are the signs my home's pipes are failing?
- What is a hose bib vacuum breaker and do I need one?
- What is backflow in plumbing?
- What is involved in installing a reverse osmosis system?
- What is the difference between hard water and soft water?
- What is the difference between reverse osmosis and a water softener?
- What kind of whole-house water filter is right for Phoenix?
- What should a food truck do if its potable water system fails during service?
- What should a restaurant do with an ice machine after a water advisory?
- What should I do about green or brown material inside a clear Rusco water-filter housing?
- What tools do I need to solder copper pipe?
- Who must prepare and distribute an Arizona consumer confidence report?
- Why does my toilet bowl turn yellow?
- Why does my water report list nitrate as N instead of nitrate?
- How can I find an Arizona public water system’s ID, monitoring records and violations?
- What emergency plan does an Arizona community water system need, and when does AWIA apply?
- What needs to happen before a restaurant reopens after a sewage backup?
- Where is the reset button on a gas water heater?
- Why do restaurant soda machine and ice well drains smell?
- Does a dental office need a backflow preventer?
- How do I bypass a Culligan water softener?
- How do I start or transfer water service when I move in Phoenix?
- Should I keep the refrigerator water filter when its supply comes from reverse osmosis?
- What do A. O. Smith water heater blinking light codes mean?
- What does a backflow preventer do and how does it work?
- What should a small Arizona public water system do when a Level 1 or Level 2 assessment is triggered?
- What should an Arizona public water system do after missing a required sample?
- What water filtration does a commercial kitchen need?
- When can I use private well water again after a flood?
- Why does a dish machine or ice machine drain clog or overflow?
- Why does my APEC tankless RO run or send water to the drain when the faucet is off?
- Why does my RO membrane say 50 GPD but the system lists a lower daily output?
Codes and permits (6)
- UPC 611: Reverse Osmosis and Water Treatment Unit Drainage
- Can Scottsdale shut off your water for a backflow violation?
- UPC Section 603: Cross-Connection Control and Backflow Protection
- UPC Section 720: The Required Gap Between Water and Sewer Lines
- Buckeye City Code 17-4-3: backflow assemblies, yearly tests, 10-day repairs and shutoff
- Does every Surprise commercial connection need a backflow device?
Plumbing terms (7)
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