Our certified laboratory professionals meticulously examine your water and perform over 100,000 tests per year.
Colorless, odorless, tasteless. These are all words we might think of when we think of water, especially our drinking water. But the chemistry and science of water and water quality are a bit more complicated.
The water that eventually reaches your tap goes through thousands of rigorous tests per month to ensure it meets or exceeds all regulatory requirements. We also maintain thousands of miles of water and sewer lines throughout Pittsburgh. This pipeline makes up the public water system you use and rely on.
Most questions we receive pertaining to odor and color are often related to plumbing inside a building or home. For the benefit of our customers, our Water Quality team is happy to answer some of the most commonly asked questions.
Why does my water have a rotten egg odor? The distinct odor of rotten eggs is often the byproduct of sulfur-eating bacteria hanging out in your hot water tank. To use a comparison, a hot water tank is like an incubator. If the conditions are just right – say, you haven’t used hot water in a while or were on vacation – bacteria can grow. If the odor is more like wet dog, the issue is likely the same, but a different type of bacteria is the culprit.
Try running only cold water on the faucet in question. If the odor subsides when cold water is running, it could indicate the source of the smell is in fact your hot water tank. In this case, check your hot water tank.
Why do I smell sewage when I turn on my tap? This odor is usually because there’s a clogged or slow drain somewhere in your home plumbing. That drain will pick up debris, which expels odors and gases into your home when you turn the water faucet on.
Test out all your faucets and see if the odor is limited to specific ones. That will give you a better idea of the location of the clogged or slow drain.
Why is my water cloudy? This comes down to water pressure and water temperature. In colder months, since colder water holds more air than warmer water, you’re seeing an excess of harmless, trapped air.
The water that comes out of your faucets is under pressure, meaning it can also hold onto excess air. If you open your tap to find some cloudiness, just let the water settle for a minute or two. It should go back to being crystal clear shortly!
What are PFAS? Does PWSA test for PFAS? Also called “forever chemicals,” PFAS are a group of thousands of synthetic chemicals that have been widely used in industrial and consumer products, contributing to their presence in water.
PWSA has been proactively monitoring for PFAS since 2018 as a precaution. Since then, we’ve never exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed limit of 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS. We test for 29 different types of PFAS quarterly.
Why is my water brown? Brown water is different than cloudy water. If you’re experiencing discoloration, we recommend running your faucet on cold at the lowest point of your home until the water runs clear, which may take 10-15 minutes — then use it as normal.
If your water does not clear after, please call PWSA 24/7 Emergency Dispatch at 412-255-2423.
For more information on water quality, please see our Is My Drinking Water Safe? fact sheet or visit our Water Quality & Treatment webpage.
