If it is a plumbing issue, brown water may be caused by rusty iron piping. This will need replacing. It might also result from corrosion inside an old hot water system - if it is, the brown water will come only from the hot water tap. In this case, get the unit checked by a plumber.
If it's from the hot water only, it could be due to a problem with your water heater. It may require flushing. Rusts on the inside of your tank can cause the water to become brown. This can be remedied by draining and refilling your water heater according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Brown, yellow or red water: These colors indicate rust in your pipes. The problem may only be with your hot water heater (hopefully!) or it may be with the pipes throughout your home (ouch!). Thankfully, a common solution to rusty pipes is to install a water softener or filtration system in your home.
If it is your cold water that is running brown, try flushing out your pipes by running your kitchen tap for 20 minutes. If it does not clear at first, then wait 20 minutes then repeat the process. Try this a few times.
Generally speaking, it's NOT safe to consistently expose yourself to brown, rusty water - drinking or bathing in it for an extended period of time could cause some health issues. Believe it or not, it's actually also safe to drink.
Normally, the water will clear up between 1 to 4 hours within the system. Please try not to use your hot water until the water clears, this will keep sediment out of your water heater. Once the system is clear you can remove the brown water trapped within your home.
If you have discolored water, don't use it, drink it, or run the water until it's clear. Contact a professional plumber to repair or replace your water heater right away. Brown or discolored water happens for several reasons, the most common being a faulty water heater system.
Brown water can be caused by the corrosion of water pipes as materials flake away and find their way into water supplies, making the water an orange-brown color (from iron pipes) or even black (from lead pipes). Certain elements from sulfur dioxide can cause water to turn brown when combined with hot water.
When a home's water suddenly becomes dirty, the cause is typically one of these things: City maintenance on local plumbing systems. Corrosion in your tank water heater. Aging plumbing pipes.
In general, though the discoloration is unsightly, it is still safe to drink or to use in cooking. If there had been a threat to your health from drinking the water, your water utility would have contacted local media outlets to issue a "boil water" warning for part of its service area.
Decaying galvanized pipes — If you're seeing orange or rust-colored water at both the hot and cold faucets and your home's water pipes are galvanized steel, corrosion is the most likely cause. Galvanized pipes are protected on the outside by a zinc coating, so they deteriorate from the inside out.
Older water lines in your home are corroding
If the discolored water is only present at one or several faucets (but not all of them), or if your water is discolored every morning but runs clear once you've had the tap running for a few minutes, chances are good that the problem is with the water lines in your home.
Sediment and Mineral Buildup
Probably the most common cause of discolored hot water is sediment and mineral build-up inside the heater. Sediment is solid material contained in the water that has settled to the bottom of the water heater tank.
Begin the flushing procedure by opening the hot water taps in your bathroom(s). Open ALL hot water sink fixtures, hot water bathtub or shower fixtures. Next, open all other hot water fixtures, such as in kitchens, wet bars, etc. Run all of these hot water fixtures for 15 minutes, then shut the water off.
Rust-colored hot water can be caused by bacteria growth, pipe corrosion, tank water heater corrosion, or mineral deposits in the water supply. If the cause is due to aging plumbing, replacing those pipes or appliances could fix the issue.
Am I safe to bathe in rusty water? Rust forms when iron is oxidized. This compound is generally not dangerous for healthy skin as it is not absorbed.
Discolored water may not be aesthetically pleasing, but it is safe to drink. However, WSSC Water does not recommend using discolored water to do laundry. Clothes can become stained. Discolored water and trapped air are common occurrences after a water main break or other water system maintenance work.
Should we worry about brown water from tap harming us? In terms of whether this water is dangerous for you to use, then no it is not. The brown is from too much iron in the water from the rust. Iron is already present in the drinking water and is not poisonous.
The most likely culprit is rust leeching from an aging galvanized iron pipe. If you mainly notice the discoloration first thing in the morning—or after being away from your home for a while—chances are it's a supply line. That's especially true if only one faucet in your home is spewing the brown stuff.
First of all, know that a little rust will not hurt you if you drink it or wash with it. It may look gross, but it is not considered harmful.
Injecting high levels of microscopic rust may cause iron poisoning, which manifests in fever, headaches, dizziness, low blood pressure, and more. While you're unlikely to ingest enough tainted water for this to occur, there is still the risk of sickness, especially in children and those with certain medical conditions.
Along the tank: Rust on the tank itself is a bad sign—and it usually means the tank and likely the entire water heater needs to be replaced. If the water heater is over 20 years old, it's already a good time to replace it.
It's the increase in the quantities that leads to rust, resulting in a yellowish tinge to your water. In other words, you don't have a foreign substance in your water supply; you just have too much oxygen and iron in it. The more rust you have in the water, the darker the shade of yellow.