Show All Answers

1. Is the water fluoridated?

Yes, 0.7 ppm of fluoride is added for dental health under the Vermont Department of Health Fluoridation Program.

2. How hard is our water?

Champlain Water District’s water is “slightly” or just barely hard according to the hardness scale (3.6 grains per gallon, or 60 milligrams per liter). Use this information for dishwasher settings.

3. I sometimes get a pink stain on my bathroom fixtures, in my pet’s water bowl or on other surfaces. Sometimes, the growth grows from my faucet screen. What is it and how do I get rid of it?

The pink stain is a non-pathogenic bacterium known as Methylbacterium. Methylbacterium is transported in air and the cells commonly settle on surfaces. When the conditions are right for growth i.e. the right amount of moisture, food, and temperature, a few cells will multiply to many cells, and, since they are pink colored, when enough are present on a surface, the pink stain results.

Consider using a relatively strong household disinfecting solution to attempt to eliminate every last one of the cells, otherwise the remaining cells may grow back to form the pink stain that you just cleaned off of your surface. Mold and fungi may also be transported through air and grow on surfaces in this manner.

4. Why are my faucet strainers and other plumbing fixtures clogging with white particles?

These white particles are pieces of the dip tube from your hot water heater. Several brands of hot water heaters were made using a faulty dip tube that disintegrates over time. The dip tube carries the cold water from the top of the hot water heater to the bottom, where the cold water is heated.

Over time, the dip tube disintegrates and the white dip tube particles are carried through the household pipes. If the particles are large enough they are caught in the strainers of the sink faucets or shower heads. If you are experiencing a problem of this nature, call the manufacturer or provider of your hot water heater for further information.

5. Why does my humidifier water grow slimy over time?

The same growth process described in Question 2 may also occur inside a humidifier. Cells present before filling the dehumidifier reservoir can rapidly multiply over time. Household antigrowth products are available for dehumidifiers.

6. Why does my water smell like sulfur?

When sulfur smells infrequently occur, they are an indication that the hot water tank should be flushed. Flushing hot water tanks in a finished area should be performed by a knowledgeable plumber.

7. Why does tap water sometimes look milky white or appear to have air bubbles?

This may occur infrequently during the time of year when the water coming into the house is colder than the temperature inside the house. Cold water holds more oxygen than warm water does, consequently when the cold water from the water mains outside comes inside our warm homes, and the water begins to warm, the oxygen has to escape.

It does so by bubbling out in air bubbles which makes the water look milky. A visual example of this is to run water into a clear container and observe for a short time. If the water clears from the bottom to the top of the container then the phenomenon described is occurring. The air bubbles are moving from the bottom to the top of the container to escape into the open atmosphere.

8. Why does my water taste like plastic?

When plastic tastes infrequently occur, they are related to household plastic plumbing.

9. Why is there a musty odor at my faucet?

Many times, growth which has built up within the sink drain overtime may create a musty odor. Clean the sink drain with a household cleaner.

This growth is not related to the quality of your tap water. Musty odors associated with surfaces and appliances where water is present indicate a need to clean those surfaces or appliances.

10. Why is my water is cloudy after the Water Department flushes hydrants in my neighborhood?

The Water Department flushes hydrants as part of a proactive system maintenance program. Occasionally, flushing may suspend small amounts of sediment from the surface of the pipe within the system. This sediment will clear after you flush your plumbing fixtures for several minutes.

11. Why do the drains in my house smell?

Basically there are two reasons for a drain to smell (or go septic) which is most often described as sewer, stinky, or sulfurous. They include:

• A little used drain and its associated trap may go dry, which lets the drain emit sewer gases. Periodically running water into the drain helps to keep the trap filled and operating properly thereby stemming the sewer gas issue.
• The accumulation of organic products in a drain or trap can emit a host of odors and the problem becomes noticeably worse after hot water is introduced into the drain, especially after the drain has sat unused overnight. The steam or hot air from the drain mixes with the organic byproducts and wafts upwards towards the users nose and then the user thinks they have a smelly water problem when the issue is actually the drain or trap. This is more common than you think. Cleaning the drain is the only way to resolve the issue.