Why Is My Tap Water Cloudy or Milky?
Cloudy or milky water is usually tiny air bubbles, common after work on the water mains or in cold weather. Fill a clear glass and wait a few minutes: if it clears from the bottom up, it was air. Cloudiness that does not clear, or comes with a smell or taste, is a reason to call your utility.
Where does it look cloudy?
Run the hot tap, then the cold tap, at more than one sink. One choice gives you the likely source and what to do.
All five cases as a list
- Only hot water looks cloudyUsually points to: Air released as the water heats, or sediment from the water heater.What to do: If grit settles at the bottom of a glass, the heater may need flushing (a plumber or the heater manual can guide you).
- Cold water looks milky and clears from the bottom upUsually points to: Air dissolved under pressure in cold water, released when it leaves the tap.What to do: Usually a nuisance that passes on its own.
- Every tap is cloudy and a glass does not clearUsually points to: Something in the supply rather than air.What to do: Call your utility, especially if it lasts more than a day or comes with a smell or taste.
- Only one faucet is cloudyUsually points to: The faucet's aerator or that branch of the home's plumbing.What to do: Unscrew and clean the aerator, then run the tap.
- A glass clears within a few minutesUsually points to: Trapped air.What to do: Nothing to do. It is common after mains repairs.
Two nuisances, one worth testing
- Nuisance: changes look, smell or taste
Tiny air bubbles
The water clears from the bottom of the glass up within a few minutes. Common after mains work or in cold weather.
- Nuisance: changes look, smell or taste
Hardness minerals
The water looks clear but leaves white spots, flakes or scale when it dries. That is calcium and magnesium, not cloudiness in the water itself.
- Worth testing
Cloudiness that does not clear
The glass stays cloudy, or the water also smells, tastes or foams. EPA lists foaming agents among the causes of frothy or cloudy water.
When to call your utility
- Call your utility if the water stays cloudy in a glass, lasts more than a day, or also smells or tastes different.
- Mention any recent mains work or a burst pipe on your street.
- Your utility's phone number and website are on your city or utility page here: search your address, city or ZIP below.
Frequently asked
- Drinking Water Inspectorate (UK drinking-water regulator), “White or cloudy water”
- US EPA, “Secondary Drinking Water Standards: Guidance for Nuisance Chemicals”
Reviewed October 7, 2026 by the PurityMap Editorial Team. Prepared with AI assistance. General information, not medical advice. Your utility's records describe the water system, not the water at your tap. Health disclaimer · Spot a mistake? Send a correction.
How do I tell if cloudy water is just air?
Fill a clear glass and set it down. Air clears from the bottom up within a few minutes. If the glass stays cloudy, something else is in the water: call your utility.
Why is my water cloudy after the water was shut off?
When a main is repaired or reconnected, air gets into the pipes and comes out of the tap as milky water. It usually clears after running the cold tap for a few minutes.
What are the white spots my water leaves behind?
Usually hardness minerals (calcium and magnesium) left when water dries. They are a scale and appliance issue; your city's hard-water page shows the utility's reported hardness where it is on file.