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Particles in mains water supply

I get particles in my water supply. They are orange or black generally. The y do not appear to be affected by a magnet. We are filtering our drinking w ater until we can sort it out and using bottled water. The neighbour does n ot have this problem. We have a lead service pipe as far as I know - rising main is definitely lead in the kitchen. House is Edwardian. I did wander if the particles were coming from the internal pipework. We ha ve a problem with the shower pump running roughly until it starts to pump w ater - see my other thread. Should I ask our water supplier Severn Trent about the contamination? Water pressure has never been great but doesn't seem to have dropped AFAIK. I h ave read that a leaking service pipe is able to draw in contaminants when t here is a pulse in pressure. My priority is to know if the water is still good to drink. We have always run the cold tap for a minute first thing or after some hours.

Reply to
michael_lakeman
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In article , michael snipped-for-privacy@btinternet.com scribeth thus

Yes you should not have that sort of thing in there. If its in their pipes then they should fix it but even if you have olde lead pipes it shouldn't do that!.

I'd have them to come and check the water purity and have a look at the pressure whilst there...

Reply to
tony sayer

I'd most certainly get the supplier to test it to see what these are. You say not affected by a magnet, but they could still be a kind of rust, it very much depends on how oxidised they are when testing them with a magnet. You do not mention size. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

hey do not appear to be affected by a magnet. We are filtering our drinking water until we can sort it out and using bottled water. The neighbour does not have this problem. We have a lead service pipe as far as I know - risi ng main is definitely lead in the kitchen. House is Edwardian.

have a problem with the shower pump running roughly until it starts to pump water - see my other thread.

er pressure has never been great but doesn't seem to have dropped AFAIK. I have read that a leaking service pipe is able to draw in contaminants when there is a pulse in pressure.

s run the cold tap for a minute

If you have lead pipes, the water main is very likely cast iron. Over the years these fill up with scabby rust/corrosion/limescale/other cra p. (Also reducing the bore of the pipe and water pressure) The chlorine and oxygen in the water attacks the iron If non-magnetic, it's probably limescale contaminated with a bit of rust. To confirm, put the bits in vinegar and see if they dissolve. Harmless but unsightly.

Reply to
harry

hey do not appear to be affected by a magnet. We are filtering our drinking water until we can sort it out and using bottled water. The neighbour does not have this problem. We have a lead service pipe as far as I know - risi ng main is definitely lead in the kitchen. House is Edwardian.

have a problem with the shower pump running roughly until it starts to pump water - see my other thread.

er pressure has never been great but doesn't seem to have dropped AFAIK. I have read that a leaking service pipe is able to draw in contaminants when there is a pulse in pressure.

s run the cold tap for a minute

I will see if the bits dissolve in vinegar as suggested. I am waiting for a call from the water quality office. I will report back when I know more. T hanks for info so far.

Reply to
michael_lakeman

Do you have any steel pipework in your water system? We had a problem with stainless steel pipework rusting internally near the HW tank.

Tim

Reply to
Tim+

hey do not appear to be affected by a magnet. We are filtering our drinking water until we can sort it out and using bottled water. The neighbour does not have this problem. We have a lead service pipe as far as I know - risi ng main is definitely lead in the kitchen. House is Edwardian.

have a problem with the shower pump running roughly until it starts to pump water - see my other thread.

er pressure has never been great but doesn't seem to have dropped AFAIK. I have read that a leaking service pipe is able to draw in contaminants when there is a pulse in pressure.

s run the cold tap for a minute

No steel pipework as far as I know

Reply to
michael_lakeman

The water supplier will not want to know so it is best to presume from the outset that they are going to deny everything at the reception desk. Your f irst complaints for example will not be replied to next there will be obfus cation.

If you get good service there will be someone visiting your house within th e week. So take that as the starting point for bad service. (It could get w orse! If a certain ill favoured regular poster gets the contract. It could get a (lot more) lot worse. (Don't bother thank you!! worse.))

I doubt a company that big has changed much since Thatcher but I may be wro ng. In North Wales whole sections of its largest town had the problem for d ecades and still has it as far as I know.

How often do you have to replace tap washers? Your problem is compounded by the fact that you don't know who is responsib le and won't find out without expense. Is it possible to put inline filters on all your present taps?

How have you kept it out of the boiler?

I imagine a number of the taps could use replacement. If you have 6 months supply of detritus to be used as evidence then you may have a claim for dro pping your bill or even parts and labour.

Now that the local council no longer is a party against you you might try a sking their technical department if they can help. But unless you are going to do the work yourself, I think you will be looking at substantial expens es just inside the house.

Can anyone give some idea of the cost of re-piping an house these days? Good luck.

Reply to
Weatherlawyer

Are the particles in your mains supply or just in water from your tank?

Tim

Reply to
Tim+

Ours did, they came and took samples and were rather concerned. This was only a couple of years ago now....

Reply to
tony sayer

Insect eggs? Happened to a work colleague. Massive Ladybird infestation near their water tank ...

Reply to
Adrian Caspersz

So any day now, eh? Have you been waiting-in long?

Reply to
Weatherlawyer

Shirly you can do better than that?...

Reply to
tony sayer

hey do not appear to be affected by a magnet. We are filtering our drinking water until we can sort it out and using bottled water. The neighbour does not have this problem. We have a lead service pipe as far as I know - risi ng main is definitely lead in the kitchen. House is Edwardian.

have a problem with the shower pump running roughly until it starts to pump water - see my other thread.

er pressure has never been great but doesn't seem to have dropped AFAIK. I have read that a leaking service pipe is able to draw in contaminants when there is a pulse in pressure.

s run the cold tap for a minute

They took the sample last Friday. Waiting for the results which they said c ould take up to 10 days.

Reply to
michael_lakeman

hey do not appear to be affected by a magnet. We are filtering our drinking water until we can sort it out and using bottled water. The neighbour does not have this problem. We have a lead service pipe as far as I know - risi ng main is definitely lead in the kitchen. House is Edwardian.

have a problem with the shower pump running roughly until it starts to pump water - see my other thread.

er pressure has never been great but doesn't seem to have dropped AFAIK. I have read that a leaking service pipe is able to draw in contaminants when there is a pulse in pressure.

s run the cold tap for a minute

Gave us a 2 hr slot and turned up on time.

Reply to
michael_lakeman

Have you had any plumbing work done? I get green bits of (probably) solder stuck in the ball c*ck valve in the loft carried up by the water, these make it leak. This is 35 years after the plumber was last in the house and before I moved in.

Reply to
therustyone

hey do not appear to be affected by a magnet. We are filtering our drinking water until we can sort it out and using bottled water. The neighbour does not have this problem. We have a lead service pipe as far as I know - risi ng main is definitely lead in the kitchen. House is Edwardian.

have a problem with the shower pump running roughly until it starts to pump water - see my other thread.

er pressure has never been great but doesn't seem to have dropped AFAIK. I have read that a leaking service pipe is able to draw in contaminants when there is a pulse in pressure.

s run the cold tap for a minute

No but the shower pump is vibrating on start up - see other thread. Can't s ee a path back to the rising main for any debris though as it's fed from th e CW tank.

Reply to
michael_lakeman

Can't be bothered. Try quoting correctly.

Tim

Reply to
Tim+

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