Blue Tint in Tap Water?

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Stushimi

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Hard to explain but I filled up my tub for a bath last night and noticed a blue tint to the water. Initially I thought it might be lighting or reflection from some of the blue in the bathroom so I took an empty 5 Gal bucket and filled that up to and took it to a different room. The blue was even more noticeable.

After googling around it looks like it might be high levels of copper in the water, which makes sense given we have copper pipes. We've been in the house since May so I don't think this problem will go away with time. I don't notice any difference in the taste of the tap water but did buy a small Brita filter this morning as a precaution.

I didn't take a picture exactly but I found the one below on Google thats pretty close to what I'm seeing.

Will high levels of copper effect my beer?

marriott-mystic-hotel.jpg
 
My water usually looks like that. I always thought it was from chlorine. It smells like a swimming pool when my kid takes a bath. That’s why I don’t drink the tap water....I don’t use it to brew either.
 
I don't assume chlorine mostly because theres no smell of it even with the large quantity that you'd have in a bath.
 
I’ve read Brewtan B will chelate metals in the water.
 
Never heard that chlorine has any color. Wouldn't the color from copper be green? I've had copper pipes in my three houses and never saw any coloring. I have great water in my last house and never even treated for chlorine/chloramines. The water in my present place sometimes has a slight chlorine smell so I use Campden tablets.
 
Is this something that started happening all of a sudden or has it been like this since you moved in? I'd find it had to believe that it's the pipes if it started all of a sudden. I can't explain or have any idea what it might be...
 
It could be that your water is acidic and it is dissolving the copper. Copper salts are blue to blue/green. Take a sample to a local RO & Distilled water retailer who also sells the likes of softeners, RO units, etc..., and ask them to run a pH on it for you. Also ask if they have ever experienced this. If so, they would likely have a cure for it.
 
Thanks everyone. I'm going to get the water looked at per Silver Is Money's recommendation and see what they have to say. I remember this happening, though not as obviously, when we first moved in back in May so this has been happening for awhile.
 
It's most likely copper but I can remember one case with a colleague of mine was absolutely obsessed with a bluish tinge in his well water. The guy that installed his pressure tank/neutralizer/softener replaced each of the system component one by one without effect. I told him that if he'd buy the chemistry I'd check the copper content for him and guess what? No copper so I don't think he ever did figure out what it was. I'd still say copper is the best bet. Get it tested for that. Does it taste at all metallic?

Note that pH isn't going to have as great an influence here as it would with say iron pipe. Copper dissolves mainly through a redox process. Drop a penny in some hydrochloric or sulfuric acid and see what happens. You'll be dissappointed.
 
look like a smurf took a bath and did not drain the tub.:yes:

I just filled a 5gal bucket the other day and noticed a light but similar look, I was thinking it might have something to do with the lights.
 
fwiw, my well runs around pH 6.5 and with a house full of copper plumbing it required a neutralizer as otherwise blue deposits starting accumulating in the fixtures (sinks/toilet bowls/showers/etc).

That said I never noticed the water actually running colored like that, so while there may well be a pH thing going on I'm betting there's something else that's coloring the water...

Cheers!
 
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