Cloudy water

Occasionally you may notice subtle changes in your tap water, such as cloudiness or varying tastes and odors. This is typically the result of the City pumping well water to meet customer demand, when the water treatment plants are shut down for annual maintenance. You can be assured that, despite the changes, Mesa’s water is safe to drink and continues to exceed stringent state and federal water-quality standards.

Water in the City of Mesa water distribution system is under pressure, causing any air present to be dissolved in the water until the pressure is released at the tap. Dissolved air in the water is not harmful to people and will not damage plumbing or appliances. It can, however, have an unpleasant appearance to some people.

Cloudy water typically is caused by millions of tiny air bubbles. They are harmless and not a health concern. If the amount of dissolved air is low, the water may appear to sparkle or have small bubbles. If there is a greater amount of dissolved air in the water, millions of very tiny bubbles will appear when the pressure is released, giving the water a cloudy or white, milky appearance. It may take several minutes for the air to escape. As it does, the water will clear from the bottom of the glass, upward.

Dissolved air is present in many of the City of Mesa's groundwater production wells. There are several factors that can influence the amount of dissolved or "entrained" air from deep wells, including: Locations of the perforations in the well casing. Depth of the well. Static water levels (depth to water) in the well. Quantity of water pumped.

Air also may enter the distribution system during the pumping process.