Blue Water Mystery

Users who are viewing this thread

Kbrooks

New Member
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
New York

PLEASE HELP!!​

We have blue water in our home that is only visible with a full bathtub amount. It isn't light refraction. It stains laundry, tastes like metal, and when left to sit for 24-48 hours, leaves a blue sharp-like looking sludge. It comes and goes every 6-8 months and no one can figure out what's happening.

Here is some background information about us/our home:​

Location: Niskayuna, NY (Upstate outside of Albany)
Built in 2007
600 feet off the road - copper pipe provides water.
IPEX in basement

Timeline of events​

2015 - purchased home
6/2018 - water softener installed - Kinetico
7/2019 - new water heater installed
10/2019 - reverse osmosis system installed (one kitchen faucet) - unrelated
1/2020 - FIRST INCIDENT OF BLUE WATER - system flush
8/2020 - SECOND INCIDENT SYSTEM - system flush
4/2021 - THIRD INCIDENT OF BLUE WATER - new anode rod (aluminum to magnesium)
1/2022 - FOURTH INCIDENT OF BLUE WATER - magnesium rod eaten, cannot remediate. Copper tested at 1.04ppm last week. There appears to be a metallic film on top of the water in the toilet tanks that are used least often. pH was tested at 7.2.

We're hoping someone has experienced and solved this issue. If so, please share!

66449150535__C476F281-C054-4DA7-BC11-0BFDBF8F3114.jpeg
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,795
Reaction score
4,413
Points
113
Location
IL
No experience. I would measure pH. Low pH can react with copper.

I would opt for one of the cheap pH meters and a packets that lets you make the calibration solution from distilled water.

Inexpensive pH meter should be calibrated before each use. The 4.01 or 7.0 Buffer Solution Powder packets, that you mix with 250 ml (250 grams) of distilled water, can be very inexpensive. The Pocket Digital PH Meter Water Tester Pen with an LCD display, can be very cheap. To store, fill the cap with 4.01 or 7 ph buffer solution, insert the meter into the cap, and store cap-down. That meter and buffer are often cheaper than good pH strips, and the meter is easier to interpret.

Maybe ask your water company what the pH of the water they supply is.
 

Kbrooks

New Member
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
New York
No experience. I would measure pH. Low pH can react with copper.

I would opt for one of the cheap pH meters and a packets that lets you make the calibration solution from distilled water.

Inexpensive pH meter should be calibrated before each use. The 4.01 or 7.0 Buffer Solution Powder packets, that you mix with 250 ml (250 grams) of distilled water, can be very inexpensive. The Pocket Digital PH Meter Water Tester Pen with an LCD display, can be very cheap. To store, fill the cap with 4.01 or 7 ph buffer solution, insert the meter into the cap, and store cap-down. That meter and buffer are often cheaper than good pH strips, and the meter is easier to interpret.

Maybe ask your water company what the pH of the water they supply is.
Thanks, the town has a team working on it, as well as environmental conservation, the health department, as well as county sanitarians. We called the utility company to ask about electrolysis as an option but the house appears to be grounded properly. Everyone says they've never seen this.

pH for the town's lab test came back at 7.97 and independent tests showed 7.2 and 6.8. The town is repeating their test again today.
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,795
Reaction score
4,413
Points
113
Location
IL
Has a neighbor seen similar symptoms?
 

Kbrooks

New Member
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
New York
Has anyone taken a sample of that sludge to analyze? Has anyone had any health issues? While probably not the issue, this is interesting https://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/diseases/cyanobacteria#:~:text=Cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, are microscopic organisms,organisms use sunlight to make their own food.
No one analyzed the sludge, despite my efforts to get someone to. They basically said we'd have to test it for something and we can't just do random tests. They said "there's no 'what is this?' test."
 

John Gayewski

In the Trades
Messages
4,324
Reaction score
1,319
Points
113
Location
Iowa
Flushed 2 hours with softener, and three hours on bypass. Flushed water heater 30 minutes on 3 occasions. That was 4 days ago. It never got better.
So you're no longer using the r.o. filter and have flushed everything and continued not using thr r.o. filter and the issue still exists? My thinking od that there's a problem with the r.o.
 

Kbrooks

New Member
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
New York
So you're no longer using the r.o. filter and have flushed everything and continued not using thr r.o. filter and the issue still exists? My thinking od that there's a problem with the r.o.
The RO is only one small line that goes from that system to one secondary faucet in the kitchen... We stopped using the RO so we wouldn't stress out that system. That RO water only runs in that one location.
 

GoWater

New Member
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
California
The RO is totally unrelated to the rest of the water, it is being fed by the water and then does through the RO process.

The blue water is not because of the softener. Something is reacting with the copper. Your Kinetico dealer may or may not be able to help, although they should know if other customers are having similar problems, but it is not because of the softener.
 

Kbrooks

New Member
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
New York
The RO is totally unrelated to the rest of the water, it is being fed by the water and then does through the RO process.

The blue water is not because of the softener. Something is reacting with the copper. Your Kinetico dealer may or may not be able to help, although they should know if other customers are having similar problems, but it is not because of the softener.
Oh my goodness, this is SO helpful! I didn't think it was related to the RO or the softener! Okay, yes, I agree that something is reacting to the copper. Do you know any theories of what that could be? Knowing some ideas would be so helpful. What could be reacting if the pH is normal?
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks