What can be causing our drinking water to have a reddish color?
Your water might be affected by iron, which is a commonly-occurring constituent of drinking water. Iron tends to add a rusty, reddish-brown (or sometimes yellow) color to water. If the color is more black than red, your water might contain a combination of iron and manganese. Both of these metals can cause staining of plumbing fixtures or laundry, but they are not known to cause health problems.
Learn more: USGS Drinking Water and Source Water Research
Related Content
Why is our porcelain sink stained brown?
Why does my drinking water look cloudy sometimes?
Why does it take so long to rinse the soap off my hands? What are hard water and soft water?
Where can I find information about my local drinking water supply?
What can cause our water to have an earthy odor or to smell like rotten eggs?
Where can I find information about bottled water?
The quality of our Nation's waters: Water quality in principal aquifers of the United States, 1991-2010
About 130 million people in the United States rely on groundwater for drinking water, and the need for high-quality drinking-water supplies becomes more urgent as our population grows. Although groundwater is a safe, reliable source of drinking water for millions of people nationwide, high concentrations of some chemical constituents can pose...
DeSimone, Leslie A.; McMahon, Peter B.; Rosen, Michael R.
Quality of Water from Domestic Wells in Principal Aquifers of the United States, 1991-2004
As part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), water samples were collected during 1991-2004 from domestic wells (private wells used for household drinking water) for analysis of drinking-water contaminants, where contaminants are considered, as defined by the Safe Drinking Water Act, to be all...
DeSimone, Leslie A. Quality of Water from Domestic Wells in Principal Aquifers of the United States, 1991-2004: Overview of Major Findings
More than 43 million people - about 15 percent of the U.S. population - rely on domestic wells as their source of drinking water (Hutson and others, 2004). The quality and safety of water from domestic wells, also known as private wells, are not regulated by the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act or, in most cases, by state laws. Rather, individual...
DeSimone, Leslie A.; Hamilton, Pixie A.; Gilliom, Robert J.
The Quality of the Nation’s Groundwater: Progress on a National Survey
The U.S. Geological Survey is near the midpoint of a complex undertaking to survey the quality of the nation’s largest drinking-water resource.
Current website: https://www.usgs.gov/news/quality-nation-s-groundwater-progress-a-nation...
New Study Shows High Potential for Groundwater to be Corrosive in Half of U.S. States
An analysis of more than 20,000 wells nationwide shows 25 states have groundwater that has either high or very high potential to be corrosive...
Glass of drinking water - municipal water use
Stock photo
A young girl drinks water, which likely originated from groundwater
A young girl drinks water, which likely originated from groundwater sources.
The USGS is near the midpoint of a complex undertaking to survey the quality of the nation’s largest drinking-water resource. From 2012 – 2023, the USGS is assessing groundwater throughout the country through extensive sampling. The latest results from five regional aquifers are now
...
Drinking water from tap
The quality of the water we drink can potentially impact our health. The USGS has several programs and cooperative projects that characterize the quality of selected rivers and aquifers used as sources of drinking water to community water systems in the United States.
Drought, Drinking Water and Natural Environments
This short video is one of a series of four total shorts highlighting USGS water science in California's Delta region. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is the hub of the state's water system. Water quality touches on all aspects of life. Teams of U.S. Geological Survey scientists along with their partners monitor water quality and identify sources of pollution and
Why does my drinking water look milky or cloudy sometimes?
Listen to hear the answer.
Iron Bog near Rochford, SD
Naturally occuring bog-iron area near Rochford, SD, in the Black Hills of western South Dakota.
Natural Iron-rich Acidic Spring Flowing into Cement Creek
Photograph showing natural iron-rich acidic spring flowing into Cement Creek near Silverton, Colorado. Similar natural springs contribute water to Cement Creek and other tributaries of the upper Animas River.
