Sensory Cue |
Possible Cause |
| Brown-red water stains | Iron |
| Yellow water | Tannin |
| Black-stained fixtures and laundry | Manganese |
| Blackening and pitting of stainless steel sinks | Chloride |
| White deposits in pipe, water heater | Hard water |
| Soap scum | Hard water |
| Milky water | Particles, air |
| Grittiness | Fine sand, grit |
| Turbidity, murkiness | Dirt, clay, silt, organic matter |
| Blue-green stains on porcelain fixtures | Brass, copper |
| Musty, earthy smell | Organic matter (leaves and algae) |
| Chlorine, bleach smell | Chlorine |
| Detergent, foam | Wastewater discharge into water supply |
| Rotten egg smell | Dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas |
| Metallic taste | Iron, manganese |
| Salty, brackish | Sodium chloride, sulfate, inorganic salts |
| Adapted from the EHMI Water “Sense” Wheel ™ Environmental Hazards Management Institute |
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