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This might happen when the water entering the house is colder than the inside temperature. Cold water contains more oxygen than warm water, so when cold water from the water mains outside warms up in our warm houses, the oxygen must escape. Milky water is caused by air bubbles rising to escape the water.

Both federal and state agencies regulate drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) revised in 1986 and 1996. For more information on drinking water rules and regulations, please visit our Regulatory Affairs page. 

These whitish specks are possibly hot water heater dip tube pieces. Many 1980s hot water heaters had a defective dip tube that disintegrates with time. The dip tube transports cold water from the hot water heater's top to the bottom for heating. Over time, the dip tube breaks down and white particles enter domestic pipes. If large enough, particles become stuck in sink faucet or showerhead strainers. If they're from the dip tube, these particles won't be in the toilet bowls, tanks, or automatic ice maker because they only affect hot water. Call your hot water heater manufacturer for help with this issue.

Dialysis machines require further treatment of tap water to remove specific substances like aluminum, fluoride and chloramines. Please consult with your healthcare provider for more information. 

Drinking from garden hoses can introduce harmful substances so we do not recommend drinking from your garden hose. Food grade hoses are safer.

Customers living in Prince William County receive drinking water from different sources based on their location.

Households in eastern and central Prince William County, such as in Dumfries, Occoquan, Carter’s Grove, Woodbridge, Triangle and Hoadly Road, receive water sourced from the Occoquan Reservoir and treated at Fairfax Water’s Frederick P. Griffith Water Treatment Plant.

Customers in western Prince William County, Greater Manassas and Manassas South receive water that is a blend of water sourced from the Potomac River and treated at Fairfax Water’s James J. Corbalis, Jr. Water Treatment Plant along with water from Lake Manassas treated at City of Manassas’ water treatment plant.

A small cluster of customers in the Bull Run Mountain/Evergreen neighborhoods receive their water from six wells treated with sodium hydroxide to prevent plumbing corrosion. 

The use of free chlorine may result in a slight chlorine odor in your tap water. Each individual customer has his or her own sensitivity level to the taste and/or odor of free chlorine, though many detect no change at all.

Prince William Water flushes water from fire hydrants connected to its distribution system each spring in order to forcefully draw water through its network of pipes. This process dislodges sediments and minerals that may have collected in water mains since the prior year’s system flush.

Sometimes, the flushing process causes short-term cloudiness in water mains by stirring minerals and sediments. Please run cold water from your tap until the cloudiness goes away if you have this problem.

Please email customerservice@pwwater.org or call (703) 335-7950 to reach Prince William Water's Customer Service Department if your water seems cloudy for an extended period of time.

Most customers will not see a drop in water pressure. If a change in pressure does occur, it usually lasts for only 30 minutes or less.