rust in water

[weezergirl]

hey guys,

could somebody knowledgeable clue me in? i live in an apartment and it's kind of old. anyways i think the pipes are really rusty because when we haven't used the sink or the shower in awhile (say like the whole day) when the water first comes out it's brown. and when i went home for x-mas break and came back and took a shower the water was like muddy brown looking. (this only lasts for about 10 seconds and then it gets clearer) we have one of those PUR water pitchers where you use the sink water and it cleans it while it goes into the pitcher. does that work with rusty water? heh. in other words is it still safe? and what obligations does the apartment have to its tenants about this? i know that to replace the whole piping would be reallllllllly expensive and they prolly won't like doing it. but are they obligated to do it? is this water still safe? i honestly don't know about this stuff and am just wondering. thanks

 

[Azraele]

If you're worried about it, you can send in a sample for testing. You might also discuss your concerns with the apartment manager/landlord/person in charge.

 

Yes it's safe

You probably have cast iron pipes in your building.
It is safer to drink it after it has been filtered.

 

[palad]

Everybody can use more iron in their system.

 

[Unsickle]

Put some sacrificial zinc anodes in the pipes.

 

[Plantanthera]

Actually too much iron in your body could give you iron poisoning. It is very likely that the water is okay to consume after you let it run for a while, but as others have mentioned...you could sent a couple of samples to be tested if you are worried about it.

 

[dennilfloss]

"the water was like muddy brown looking."

Are you sure that's rust?

Knock On Wood (Amii Stewart)