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Common Drinking Water Quality Concerns

Two women sitting at a table across form each other, one with a glass of clear water
Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Common Drinking Water Quality Concerns

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has developed this page to aid you in identifying the most common drinking water quality issues and solutions when you’re connected to a public water supply.

Basic considerations

To help you troubleshoot a water quality issue, ask the following questions:

  • Does the problem occur all the time, periodically, or seasonally?
  • Does the problem occur at some or all inside taps?
  • Does the issue occur only when you first turn on the water or does is occur continuously?
  • Does the issue occur with just cold water, hot water, or both?
  • Have you had any recent work done on your water plumbing and faucets?
  • A fish with green wavy lines coming off it, symbolizing an unpleasant earthy / musty / fishy / moldy odor
    An open manhole cover with green wavy lines coming off it, symbolizing a sewage odor
    A cracked egg with green wavy lines coming off it, symbolizing a sulfur or rotten egg odor
    A bottle of bleach with green wavy lines coming off it, symbolizing a chlorine or bleach odor
    Still water with green wavy lines coming off it, symbolizing a stagnant or stale taste and odor
    Plumbing with green wavy lines coming off it, symbolizing a plastic odor and/or taste
  • A cloudy glass of water
    A glass of water with sand/sediment in it
    A glass of reddish/rusty colored water
    A glass of blue/greenish colored water
    A glass of pinkish colored water
    A glass of water with black flecks in it
  • A shower head with weak, unpressurized water dripping from it symbolizing low pressure or low flow

For more information

For more information on drinking water, visit Michigan.gov/DrinkingWater.

If you still have a concern about your drinking water, find more information or report a concern via the Office of the Clean Water Public Advocate’s Drinking Water Concern System.