Sludge in drinking water supply line

[Kiton]

I was changing a valve for my brother, it was located low in the basement so to be sure there was no water in the pipe near the solder area, I used a long compressor nozzle to blow out any water in the vertical pipe.

When I removed the nozzle, it was covered in sludge.
This can't be good, or a normal thing in the potable water line?

Has any one seen this of have any ideas?

Thank you,

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

What does the inside of a supply tube look like? Maybe check in multiple places through the house.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

When I removed the nozzle, it was covered in sludge.

You should have taken the photo before wiping off that covering of sludge.

 

[Jadnashua]

Over time, it's not unusual for water pipes to have a buildup of some sludge. In my city, on about an annual basis, they'll go around an open up various fire hydrants to blow that loose coating off of the insides of the pipe. It's normal to see brownish water for the next few hours as that gets flushed out of the lines.

 

[Kiton]

What does the inside of a supply tube look like? Maybe check in multiple places through the house.

It switches to Zurn pex after the valve.

The actual copper pipe that left the sludge on nozzle does not really show the effect as much as the inside wall of the Zurn.
It took me about three times the normal effort to clean the inside of the pipe to clean fresh looking copper before soldering the joint.

 

[Kiton]

You should have taken the photo before wiping off that covering of sludge.

I did, but it is brown on brown and doesn't really show well.

The builder used a steel ground clamp for the electrical panel on the copper pipe. The house is 17 years old, and the ground clap was rotten, along with the valve and several fittings just upstream from the ground clamp. We Changed about a half dozen fittings up stream, but I did not think the sludge could be related to rotting ground clamps issue? Could it be?

 

[Kiton]

Over time, it's not unusual for water pipes to have a buildup of some sludge. In my city, on about an annual basis, they'll go around an open up various fire hydrants to blow that loose coating off of the insides of the pipe. It's normal to see brownish water for the next few hours as that gets flushed out of the lines.

I wish they would do that here!

He seems to feel it is fine because if he fills the sink the water is clear.
I would like him to filter his drinking water until he has some answers.

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

Looks like my coffee maker!