Hello, last Wednesday, the water (both hot and cold) coming out of my tap was cloudy. It was as white as milk. When I called the water company, they said it was due to air in the lines, as apparently there had been some kind of construction in the area, which allowed air to get in. However, I also noticed that the water began to feel sticky, tacky, and waxy. The water company does not know why this is, and the strange thing is, my next door neighbor did not have any problems with her water at all.

My cold water is no longer cloudy, but my hot water still is, and it still has a sticky, tacky, waxy feel to it. When you wash your hands in this water, it almost feels like there is a layer of wax in between your palms, and until they are completely dry, they feel sticky and tacky. I have never experienced water like this, and I am afraid to use it. Any input on why this could be, or the next steps to take, would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

I would take a clean sample of your water to the Water Department for free testing. Let them continue to certify that your waters are potable......


Best Wishes

Thank you for the suggestion! The water company is going to come out and collect a sample. They said it will take approximately 7-10 days to get the results. They're going to test for things like chlorine, calcium, water hardness, etc. Does anyone know of an additional test I should do, or should that be sufficient? Should I be worried that the problem is with the pipes in the house? Could there be a bacterial problem or something crazy like that?

Thanks for the help!

I have seen a similar effect in the first gallons of water run through a system that was just repiped in copper using water soluble flux. After the first 150 gallons or so, all traces of any remaining flux appeared to be gone. I am not saying that this is your particular case, but it may be similar because of outside contaminants in the water due to the repair. I wouldn't personally drink the water at this point, boiled or not until you get the water test back. Just in case, use bottled water for cooking and drinking until you are sure that your system is clean. Bathing and the like should be just fine.

Thank you for the reply. I won't use it until I get the test results. I'll continue to use bottled water.

I just called the water company again to inquire about the construction they were doing. The woman I spoke with stated that although air could get in the lines, they are sealed and no contamination could, and even if it did, the water company would have been notified. That doesn't sound right to me. How could air get in, but nothing else?

She also wasn't able to assure me that they would be testing for sources of contamination. She said she assumed the lab is testing for the appropriate things. The man from the lab told me he was just testing for things like calcium and water hardness, though.

It's horrible not having water you trust! Tomorrow will be a week already.

Do you have a water softener?

Nope, no water softener.

You might consider getting the water tested by disinterested parties.

[www.manta.com]

That's good advise, thank you! I think I will.



Edited 1 times.

Hello there sir: When I saw Your Post on 6/8/2016 I had to contact you. It sounds exactly like as if I must have wrote your post...I mean EXACTLY! EVEN THE PARTS ABOUT THE
"White-milky colored water, AND your neighbor NOT experiencing the same things. For 6 years I've felt dirtier getting out of the shower than when I went in. My hair feels like an old grease rag, and my skin repels water like I've just been waxed. Then I go to a motel and shower and my hair is clean and smooth again and water doesn't bead-up on my skin like it does at home. I called the "City of Roswell" (NM) water dept. several times. They came out once and took a sample. I'm sure they threw it out the window as they rounded the corner, because when I called them back for a report they claimed they never came to my house. I've asked EVERYBODY if they knew what could be wrong, and NOBODY does. PLEASE, TELL ME WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE THE PROBLEM. Also I live in a mobile home with a GE Water Softener. I think It's the damn softener doing something even though it's by-passed now. Thank you very much for your time and attention.

Phil Nelson

Hello, I have the same problem, if you get yours rectified please contact me. Thank you Joan

Same here, in a high-rise condo in SW Florida.

The chalky/waxy feeling on my hands, hair, and body only happens occasionally. This just started happening a few months ago.

We are having our old, deteriorating cast iron drain pipes lined with epoxy by Specialized Pipe Technologies. It's a big job; the condo is 20 stories tall. There is some sawing and hammering involved. Maybe the vibrations from the work in progress are knocking loose minerals that have adhered to the interior of the copper water supply pipes over the years, and the minerals are sticking to our skin and hair.

Or maybe our water softener is on the fritz. I think that's more likely. I'll ask our maintenance guy and the building manager if they've had any complaints.

Been having this same sticky/tacky feeling on our (city) water, ever since we had a MINOR plumbing repair several years ago. I've since had our water extensively tested, it comes back all normal levels (including hardness, which is supposed to measure Calcium + Magnesium). Did anyone with this similar issue ever gets theirs resolved?? Thank you.