Why does the water that comes out from my faucet look cloudy or milky?

It can be worrisome when your tap water flow looks milky or cloudy. Fill your tap water in glassware, let it rest on the counter and see if it clears up after letting it sit for a few minutes. In most cases, the milky or cloudy tap water from your faucet will clear up after letting it rest on the counter for a few minutes, and it is simply caused by water flow containing air bubbles.

This link below to a YouTube video of the Cleveland Water channel shows how to test if your cloudy tap water will clear up after letting it rest on the counter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxey7ViQHEY

If you notice cloudiness in all cold water taps in the house, it is likely from the highly pressurized municipal system. If cloudy water comes from a single fixture, it usually points to an issue with the aerator. Most of our faucets are equipped with a NEOPERL® aerator with “aerated stream” flows. These aerators introduce air into the water stream to produce a larger and whiter stream that is soft to the touch and non-splashing. Aerators are the usual choice for residential faucet applications.

For more information on NEOPERL® aerator, please refer to the link below.

https://www.neoperl.com/global/en/home/products/faucet-aerators

Refer to below troubleshooting steps of cloudy hot and cold water to further locate the underlying cause.

Cold Water Cloudiness

To check where the problem originates, run each cold water tap in your home for a few seconds, then fill a clean glass.

If the water from most or all your fixtures is cloudy, it’s likely caused by air in the municipal supply. Let each glass sit for a few minutes and the water should clear from the bottom up. If you’re still seeing a cloudy flow after 24 hours, call the water bureau to ask if there’s maintenance being done, or a possible leak in their water system.

If cloudiness is only occurring at one faucet, take off the aerator, clean it with a 50-50 water/vinegar solution, then rinse it thoroughly and reinstall it, or install a different type of aerator like a “laminar flow” version.

Hot Water Cloudiness

To find out why your hot water looks milky, let it run briefly, then fill a glass. If the cloudiness dissipates from the bottom upwards within a few minutes, it’s simply due to pressurized air being released. However, if the water clears at the top first and particles settle to the bottom, have the water heater checked. A professional plumber may tell you it needs flushing to remove sediment, or the dip tube needs replacing.