FAQ

A milky or cloudy appearance is usually caused by air bubbles in the water, which pose no health risk. If the water is allowed to sit, the air will dissipate and the water will clear. If the cloudiness does not disappear, please contact us so that we may investigate.

Spots are caused by hard water, or minerals that remain after the water has evaporated. Spots can be eliminated through use of a dishwasher rinse agent.

The hardness of water varies with the water's source. The choice to buy a softener is an aesthetic one, since hard water is not harmful to health. However, water softeners typically increase the sodium content of the water, a factor that should be considered by people on low-sodium diets.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, home treatment units are rarely necessary for health reasons. Most often, water treatment units are used to remove substances that affect the aesthetic qualities of the water. If you do choose to install a home treatment unit, it is important to follow the manufacturer's maintenance instructions, because improperly maintained units can actually cause water quality problems.

The most common cause of odor in hot water is the water heater. If your cold water smells fine, check your water heater to ensure that the temperature setting is correct. Water heaters also need to be maintained (see manufacturer's instructions). Please contact us if the odor persists or if it is present in both the hot and cold water.

Color in water is usually caused by naturally occurring organic matter, minerals, or biological fouling in the pipes.  We flush our water system regularly to clean fouling build-up and other sediment from the pipes.  If you receive discolored water, you should let your faucets run until the water is clear.  Such substances typically do not pose a health hazard; however, we ask that you please report any instances of repetitive discolored water so that we may investigate.

Not necessarily, tap water providers are required to conduct more frequent water quality testing and reporting than bottled water providers. Some consumers prefer the taste of bottled water, and some choose bottled water because they have special health needs. But tap water is a much better deal at costs of 1,000 times less than bottled water.

Fire hydrants colored black are non-functioning or otherwise unavailable for fire suppression use.  A device is considered non-functioning if it pumps less than 250 gallons of water per minute.  We use them to conduct regular water system flushing of the pipes.

Disinfectants are required because they prevent the spread of germs that cause diseases. Years ago, before disinfectants were used for drinking water, diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, and dysentery were common. Drinking water disinfection has vastly improved the quality and safety of drinking water.

We disinfect your water to ensure that it is free of harmful bacteria. To reduce any chlorine taste or smell, try refrigerating your water before drinking.

Dirt or sand can occur as a result of a water line repair or from original construction and associated sand bedding.  We try to reduce the instances of dirt or sand in the water through regular flushing, which improves water quality by increasing the circulation of water in the pipes and removing most of the sediment from the water.

Water sources change at certain times of the year due to the availability of supplies.  East Rio Hondo Water Supply Corporation has four different sources of supply.  Surface water, or water that comes from sources like rivers and lakes, tends to taste slightly different than water pumped from underground aquifers.