Discoloration can occur due to the disruption of sediment in the pipes. This is usually temporary and can be resolved by running the cold water for a few minutes.

Once service is restored, run your cold water taps for a few minutes to clear any air or sediment from the lines. Cal Water will notify customers if a boil water advisory is in effect.

Follow these steps.

• See if your water contains chlorine or chloramine. You can find this information in the water quality report for your water system, but you may want to have your water independently tested. You must take steps to remove the chlorine or chloramine from your water before using it in the dialysis process, because these substances are harmful if they enter directly into the bloodstream.
• If your water contains chlorine: Chlorine may be eliminated from water by using a filtration system. To determine whether your system is already able to remove chlorine or to obtain assistance with upgrading your system, contact your physician, dialysis equipment service company, or the Department of Health Services Licensing & Certification Unit.
• If your water contains chloramine: Your dialysis system needs to be able to handle up to 5 mg/liter of chloramine (higher than the maximum concentration allowed by law). Chloramine may be eliminated from water by using a granular-activated carbon-filtration system specifically designed to remove chloramine. To determine whether your system is already able to remove chloramine or to obtain assistance with upgrading your system, contact your physician, dialysis equipment service company, or the Department of Health Services Licensing & Certification Unit.

If you have questions or need additional information on how to prepare your water for use in dialysis treatment, contact your dialysis facility, physician, or one of these resources:

• Department of Health Services Licensing & Certification Unit, (650) 301-9771
• Southern California Renal Disease Council (for southern California dialysis patients)

The water you receive from Cal Water is safe for human consumption. However, your water may contain chlorine or chloramine, which can harm animals that live in water, such as fish, reptiles, amphibians, and shellfish. Unlike land-dwelling creatures, these animals don’t have a digestive process that neutralizes chloramine and chlorine before it reaches their bloodstream, so putting them in untreated tap water may be harmful—even fatal.

Follow these steps.

• See if your water contains chlorine or chloramine. You can find this information in the water quality report for your water system.
• If your water contains chlorine: Chlorine evaporates quickly, so the easiest method of removing it from water is to put it in an open container and let it sit still for a couple of days. Alternately, chlorine may be eliminated from water by boiling it or adding salts.
• If your water contains chloramine: There are two methods for eliminating chloramine from water. You can either purchase a granular-activated carbon-filtration system specifically designed to remove chloramine, or you can use a conditioner or additive containing a dechloraminating chemical for both ammonia and chlorine.

Products for removing chloramine and chlorine, as well as kits to test your water for chloramine, are available at many pet and aquarium supply stores. These stores may also be a good resource for information on care for your pets.

At Cal Water’s state-of-the-art laboratory in San Jose, California, it’s the little things that count. Cal Water’s chemists and microbiologists conduct more than 300,000 separate water quality tests every year, looking for organic and inorganic compounds in the water in quantities as small as parts per trillion—that’s like looking for bad pennies in three football stadiums filled to the rim with coins.

Our scientists examine water samples that are carefully shipped to the lab from sampling stations throughout Cal Water’s systems to ensure that your water meets or surpasses strict state and federal water quality standards. Because protecting our customers’ health and safety is our highest priority, Cal Water staffs its lab with some of the best scientists in the water industry. The entire laboratory operation is fully certified by the California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program—one of the toughest certifications to achieve in the country.

You might not have thought much about Cal Water’s water quality laboratory, but the scientists in the lab have thought about your water. Every drop of it.

Occasionally, trapped (or entrained) air will be noticeable in tap water. This is due to air dissolved into the water at its source, which can turn into bubbles after the water leaves your tap. These bubbles may make your water temporarily appear cloudy. Both the bubbles and cloudiness are harmless and will disappear when allowed to sit, similar to how the bubbles in soda will dissipate over time.

You can confirm that the cloudiness of your water is caused by air in the water line by performing a simple experiment. Fill a clean glass with cold tap water and let it sit on the counter. Watch the cloudiness clear as the bubbles dissipate. If it starts to clear from the bottom of the glass first, this confirms that the cloudiness was nothing but air.

Air in Water Lines

If cloudy water is accompanied by sputtering from the faucet, there may be air trapped in the water line. If you have had recent plumbing work done, the air may be in your home plumbing. This should clear as the water is used.

Air may also become trapped in the line after Cal Water does work on a water main. This also will clear as the water is used, but if it does not or if the sputtering is accompanied by sediment in your water, please contact us.

Testing Your Water

Cal Water cannot recommend one water quality testing laboratory over another; however, if you would like to have your water tested, you should use a State-certified laboratory. More information is available on our Water Quality Testing Labs page.

Additional Information

More information on air trapped in water is available here:

• Video—Color in Water
• The USGS web site

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.