Bath water gone green!

[MumbleCrumbs]

Our bath water has turned a greeny blue colour overnight. I've looked online and it says it can be due to copper corrosion in the pipes that can make you sick (!) but there has been a lot of rain/flooding here the last two days so think that may be something to do with it? Any advice? Dreading calling the landlord! If copper how careful should we be about washing/drinking?

Bump

Run the water until it goes clear and time it if you are on a water meter. If it doesn't go clear or it takes ages then call your waterboard for advice. If you are on a meter they can give you credit back which is partially why you time it.

Check the local water authority FN page and see if there’s issues in the area first.

Then run the cold tap for a while and see if it clears.

We've run and run and its still an odd colour. Good idea re calling the water company I'll try that.

DH thinks I've gone a bit mad but it is definitely a greener/bluer colour than normal.

Can anyone tell me if I'm seeing things please?

Nope, you aren't going mad. It can sometimes happen when th waterboard diverts the main water due to a burst pipe somewhere else. The mains water pipes underground aren't in straight lines but are more like interlinked canals with locks over miles so a mains could be leaking (due to the storms or roadworks) the other side of town but due to the Waterboard diverting the water down a different section of pipes it could be affecting you. I wouldn't worry about it for bath or washing but don't drink it until it goes clear or you have contacted the waterboard .

Thanks Pixie that's really interesting. Hopefully that's all it is and not a copper build up. The pipes look completely fine from the outside.

Ok. Guy at water company says it does sound like a build up of copper but it's fine to drink and wash in as normal. No other issues detected in our area and no local works would explain it. However, when I've looked online it says drinking/washing in water with copper can be poisonous? So no idea what to do! We need to be able to wash/eat and drink. Will get on to the landlord but he won't be over any time soon (he never is). Bit worried really.

I would email the waterboard and get a different person. I have had that coloured water in several properties, several times each, including my childhood one. Not once have we changed pipes as the discolouration settles down after a couple of days as its been due to them changing the flow of the mains etc. He won't know what the guys on the ground are diverting at roadworks etc. Boil the drinking water or buy bottled in the meantime. Sounds like he was erring on the side of caution or inexperienced tbh.

If you are really really worried then go ask your neighbours what colour theirs is, go to several houses as you could be on different pipes.

What's the water like on your kitchen cold tap? If it's affected then phone your water company again. That tap is always first off the incoming main.
If its just the Bath tap then it's a job for a plumber/landlord.

Don’t wash your hair in it if you’re blonde - it will turn it green!

No neighbours reporting any issues either. The kitchen tap seems fine it's only when the bath is deep you notice the discoloration. Doesn't smell or anything either. Water company is going to send someone round to test it but it could take ten days to get the result!

It's not a bright green, more just a hue it's not been before.

Personally given how faint the hue is an that the water board said it’s safe to drink I’d probably be cautious and buy bottled water but still bathe in it.