Cloudy White Water - Northborough's Water Supply

Press release from the Town of Northborough:

November 6, 2020

Cloudy White Water

Northborough’s water supply is experiencing dissolved air in the system which is due to recent temperature fluctuations. There is nothing to be concerned about, the air bubbles dissipate and the water will become clear in a few minutes when open to the atmosphere.

Cloudy water, also known as white water, is caused by air bubbles in the water. It is completely harmless and safe to drink and use as you normally do. Air bubbles in drinking water occur when the weather abruptly turns cold. Cold water holds more dissolved air than warm water. As the cold water in our tanks move into the underground pipes it becomes pressurized which keeps the air dissolved. Once the water comes out of your tap, the water is no longer under pressure and the air comes out of solution as bubbles. The best thing to do is let it sit in an open container until the bubbles naturally dissipate. When the tank water temperatures stabilize over the next few days, the water will return to normal appearance. The following link provides additional information on this topic, http://www.mwra.com/04water/2004/whitewater.htm

This press release was produced by the Town of Northborough. The views expressed here are the author’s own.