Mains water has "bits" in it.

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When we did up our upstairs bathroom a couple of years ago, the plumber asked if we'd like to change the cold water feed for the washbasin so it came directly from the mains. We said yes, as it gave us much better pressure and was better for brushing teeth/filling water glasses etc. It's a chalet bungalow, so the water pressure upstairs was never great.

I poured myself a glass of water yesterday, and just happened to hold it up to the light. Urgh! It was full of little bits. I'm not talking cloudiness, or a bit of effervescence - I mean big dandruffy bits! I ran the tap for a couple of minutes, but it made no difference. I tried again this morning - still bitty. But the water from the kitchen tap is clear as clear can be.

What's going on? Could the water be going through some sort of tank on the way to the bathroom tap? Are bits shedding off the pipes? Has the plumber sold me a pup, and I've been drinking bitty water for the last two years? It certainly feels like it's coming from the mains - you can hear the pipes "rushing" (IYSWIM), and the pressure is too high to stop with a finger. Where are the bits coming from?

Are you in a hard water area?

No, not at all! I never have to de-crust the kettle.

could it be limescale that was always in the pipes but now the water pressure has increased it is disturbing it?

if it's coming from the bathroom tap but not the kitchen tap, it must be coming from the pipework in your own house, not the watermain.

I expect it will be scale from the old pipes or even the tap. You can clean out any fragments caught in the aerator of the tap spout by unscrewing it like this or by hand and giving it a wash.

try capturing some of these particles, e.g. in a coffee filter.

Dry them out, see what colour they are, and if they fizz when dropped into vinegar.

If you want to do some fourth-form science, put them into the flame on a gas-ring and see if the flames goes green or orange.

I'll have a go at cleaning out the tap spout, but I did think if I ran the water for a while it would clear. I don't have any coffee filters, but have some muslin somewhere.