Brown Water From the Faucet: Is It Safe, and How Do You Fix It?

Brown water is almost always iron or manganese — rust — and the pattern of when it shows up tells you where it's coming from.

Only in hot water

The inside of your water heater tank is rusting, or sediment is being stirred up. Flush the tank; if the water stays brown, the tank liner has failed and it's time for water heater replacement before it leaks.

Hot and cold, whole house, especially first thing in the morning

Galvanized steel supply pipes are corroding from the inside. Rust flakes off overnight and flushes out when you first turn on a tap. This only gets worse and eventually pipes clog or leak. A whole-house repipe in PEX or copper ends it permanently.

Only at one faucet

A corroded galvanized branch line or nipple feeding that fixture. A short pipe replacement fixes it.

Whole neighborhood

Hydrant flushing or a water main repair stirred up sediment in the city lines. Run cold water at a tub for 10–15 minutes.

Well water

Iron in the aquifer. An iron filter or whole-house filtration clears it.

Rust-colored water isn't usually dangerous to drink in small amounts, but it stains laundry and fixtures and signals a plumbing system that's failing. We can test your water and inspect your pipes to tell you which fix you actually need.

Need it fixed today? Call Crosby Plumbing Inc at (888) 809-6756 — 24/7, anywhere in Florida.