Water Quality

Air bubbles! Milwaukee Water Works begins the treatment process by adding ozone to the water to kill pathogens and improve taste and odor. As the ozone breaks down, it turns into oxygen, adding air to the water. When water leaves the pressure of the pipes, tiny air bubbles can form, giving it a cloudy appearance. This is completely normal and safe to drink—oxygen in the water even enhances its fresh taste!

To observe this effect, fill a glass and let it sit. If the cloudiness slowly rises as the water clears, these are air bubbles escaping.

Key Takeaway: Cloudy water is usually caused by harmless air bubbles. It is safe to drink and will clear up in a few minutes.

Stagnant water. When water is not used for an extended period, it sits in the service line and household plumbing. Over time, particles or minerals from the pipes may enter the water, causing mild discoloration. Milwaukee Water Works recommends running the water for at least three minutes first thing in the morning to flush out stagnant water and ensure fresh water to start the day. This is especially important for homes with lead service lines or older plumbing.

While it is good to have some bottled water on hand in case of emergencies, bottled water comes with its own challenges:

Cost
The average cost of a 20-ounce bottle of water is $1.50—that adds up to $9.60 per gallon! Meanwhile, Milwaukee Water Works provides about three gallons of water for just one penny ($0.01). That means bottled water can be 2,000 to 3,000 times more expensive than tap water.

Source
It is not always clear where bottled water comes from. No water source is 100% pure, including springs and artesian wells. Milwaukee’s drinking water comes from one known and protected source: Lake Michigan.

Labeling & Transparency
Bottled water labels do not always provide details about treatment and contaminants. Milwaukee Water Works tests for hundreds of contaminants and shares water quality reports every year. Available on this page or at milwaukee.gov/AWQR.

Testing & Health Standards
While the FDA regulates bottled water, testing rules vary by plant. Milwaukee Water Works tests for bacteria multiple times per day at the treatment plants and over 200 times per month at locations across the city, while bottled water plants are only required to test once per week. 

Key Takeaway: Tap water from Milwaukee Water Works is safe, affordable, and rigorously tested, making it a much more cost-effective and transparent choice compared to bottled water.

The most common cause of a bad smell in the water is actually a smelly drain. Your sink’s drain has a ‘p-trap,’ a curved section of pipe that stays filled with water to prevent sewer gas from coming into your home. If the water in the p-trap drains out, sewer gas can rise up and cause a foul odor near your sink.

To check: Fill a glass with water and take it to another room to smell it. If there is no odor, the smell likely came from the drain, not the tap water. Running your faucet for a couple of minutes will refill the p-trap and usually solve the problem.

Another possibility is your hot water heater. If the smell disappears when you run only cold water but returns when you use hot water, you may need to repair or replace your hot water heater.
 

Key Takeaway: If your tap water smells, it’s often due to a problem with the sink drain or the hot water heater, not the water itself. A quick check can help you identify and resolve the issue.

If you are concerned that an illness may be caused by food or water, contact your doctor immediately. The most important step is getting a diagnosis to help determine the cause.

If your doctor suspects a waterborne illness, they will work with public health officials to investigate. If any issue is linked to the drinking water system, Milwaukee Water Works will work closely with the Milwaukee Health Department to quickly inform the public and take action to eliminate the source, ensuring the community’s safety.