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Prince William Water is discontinuing Automatic Bank Drafting to offer more flexible payment options.  Invoice Cloud provides various recurring payment options. Payments issued by electronic check are free. A$2.75 fee is applied to credit or debit card payments.  

Home treatment units may improve flavor or odor, but they do not boost safety. Lack of maintenance might cause bacteria to proliferate in the treatment system and taint the water. Before buying a home water treatment device, read the product information. Follow manufacturer directions for operation and maintenance and change the filter regularly. Certified home treatment devices should have an NSF mark. Visit the EPA's website for more information. 
 

Bottled water isn't always safer than tap. The EPA imposes stronger requirements for our treated drinking water than the Food and Drug Administration does for bottled water. When buying bottled water, consumers should study the label to understand the taste and treatment technique. The International Bottled Water Association has bottled water information. 

People may prefer bottled water since it lacks chlorine and has no chlorine taste. However, bottled water can lie on store shelves for a long period before being sold. You can filter tap water if it accommodates your taste preferences. 
 

Black specks in tap water are often caused by rubber plumbing fittings degrading in contact with tap water chlorine and chloramines. Degraded gaskets and o-rings can gather in toilet tanks and faucets.  

Specks that can be smudged between fingertips indicate degrading rubber. Silicate or manganese is likely if it does not smear between your fingertips. Our Customer Service Department can clean your home's water distribution mains to clear silt or manganese. After flushing the mains, flush your residential lines.  

New or restored structures can have particle issues. Plumbers sometimes disrupt plumbing systems. Flushing new systems can help. 

If your garments or towels smell after laundering, check the washing machine. Wet laundry will show odors from the washing machine. After drying, the laundry smells much better but returns when damp. Washing machine scents can come from two sources:

1. Clothes may smell “sour” after prolonged wetness.  
2. Lint, filth and moisture from the washing machine can cause odor transfer to garments. To reduce odor, consult the owner's manual.  

Water appears colorless in small amounts, but it turns bluer as the sample size increases due to its interaction with light and other basic properties.

After a hot, dry summer, tap water may smell earthy/musty in the fall. All surface waterways have algae, but summertime algae are numerous. Algae die off and emit two harmless chemicals that smell earthy or musty as water temperatures drop. We can smell tiny amounts of these chemicals.

Prince William Water consistently tests and monitors the water to make sure that it meets or exceeds EPA’s safe drinking water standards. Tap water that meets EPA standards is typically safe. We take pride in maintaining high water quality throughout our distribution system.  

The pink/orange toilet stains are likely Serratia marcescens bacteria. These bacteria are most common in toilet bowls, shower stalls, dishwashers, tiles, sinks and pet water dishes.

Any damp place with phosphorus or fat will develop the bacterium. Serratia can grow in toilets where water stands long enough to evaporate chlorine residual disinfection. Chlorinated water kills Serratia and bleach removes microorganisms from toilets.