There are several reasons for changes to the colour or clarity of your water.  

If you turn the tap on first thing in the morning and are greeted by cloudy, or discoloured water, it’s not a great start to your day. Why is your water murky? Can you still brush your teeth? Is it safe to drink? Do you need a plumber?

Some changes to the colour of water or clarity are harmless, perfectly safe to drink and use and will rectify themselves.

Cloudy water
If your water appears milky or cloudy, let a glass of water stand and if the water in the glass clears from the bottom upwards, this is harmless. It is caused by air getting trapped in the popes and dispersing tiny air bubbles in the water and the problem generally rectifies itself.

Discoloured water
If your water is brown, orange or discoloured it could be caused by natural sediment in the main water pipes, or a build up of rust or sediment from internal piping.

Discoloured water is usually safe to drink, but you should run the tap first to avoid drinking the first water out of the tap.

So when should you be concerned about cloudy or discoloured water?

When doing the laundry
Although discoloured water won’t hurt you, it will likely stain your clothes, particularly your whites.

When will my water go back to normal?
If an outside activity (like the water mains being tampered with) is causing the issue it will usually go back to normal in a few hours. If it doesn’t you can contact your water utility and ask for advice.

If it is your homes pipes causing the discolouration, the only way to fully rectify the issue is to replace your pipes, which can be costly. The discoloured water won’t harm your health and usually goes away but if you are concerned or have been experiencing problems for a period of time then you can contact a professional plumber, such as Maroochydore Plumbing to advise on the situation.