Particles in tap water?

The other day the water was shut off in our building for a plumbing repair. When it was turned on again, I filled a clear glass with cold tapwater and held it up to an external window. I could see tiny particles floating. (They don't seem to be bubbles; though I am not certain.) A test conducted today yielded the same result.

Today I also examined water from the bathroom's cold-water faucet; the glass filled with obvious bubbles, but when they disappeared, the water looked clear. The kitchen cold-water faucet doesn't fill the glass with bubbles, but the "particles" I observed today rose to the surface--evidence of bubbles?

How can I determine if they're bubbles or particles?

If they are particles, what do you recommend? A Brita™ or other filter (I'd love to get a reverse-osmosis filter, but no decent consumer models seem to be available)? Should I contact building management? Should I test water from other apartments? Are cheap water home-testing kits available?

Likely some form of sediment. Especially in an apartment with old plumbing. Large particles (ie visible) will be removed by a Brita.

Let all water taps run for ten minutes and check again. If you are concerned I think city offers to test water samples for lead etc. not sure if there is a user fee for this or not. I know my water test was user-fee-less

Craig's advice is quite sound.

Flushing the taps (run for 10 mins) will help allot.

We had the city test our water for free a couple of years ago. I had forgotten. It might only be available for homes but, it can't hurt to ask.

The aerator on a tap can also cause water to look milky or cause bubbles. Try your experiment from a tap without an aerator (your tub is the most likely place to have a straight tap) or remove the aerator and try again. Hot water heaters are notorious for causing water issues. You should never drink water from your hot water tap. The heater builds up hard water deposits and releases them at random (if you clean your aerator you'll likely find debris from the heater caught in the aerator.

If you're concerned about what you're drinking and do get a filter, you should also put some thought to your shower/bath. Your skin will absorb more of it than you consume in drinking simply due to mass exposure (skin won't absorb a visible particle but can take in dissolved compounds). There are shower filters out there - most of them focus on Chlorine removal.

Showering with fluoride in the water scares me.

i thought city of toronto stopped putting fluoride in water a few years ago...or did i just dream that? not it seems that fluoride is still put in toronto water...i'm blaming the fluoride--i heard that fluoride can affect your memory.

Bruzynski wrote:

i thought city of toronto stopped putting fluoride in water a few years ago...or did i just dream that? not it seems that fluoride is still put in toronto water...i'm blaming the fluoride--i heard that fluoride can affect your memory.

You must've been dreaming:

Quote :

Fluoride is added to treated water to reduce the risk of dental cavities. Toronto Public Health advises the City about setting the fluoride target level for treated water. And in keeping with Health Canada Guidelines, our fluoride level maximizes dental health benefits and minimizes concerns about over exposure. [Source: Toronto's government

It sounds crankish, but the evidence seems to be that fluoride is a poison linked to thyroid problems, hip fractures, etc. Apparently, F was added to the public water supply in the U.S. as a result of an arrangement with Alcan, which had quantities of F of which to dispose. Claims that ingested F (as opposed to topical application) reduces tooth decay are apparently unsupported.

I'm not claiming to know the truth about it, but I don't agree with what could be loosely described as "forced medication".