Why does my water look pink? This is a question that many bewildered people find themselves asking when they are surprised to see bright pink water coming out of their faucets.
The reason why this might happen is because potassium permanganate is commonly used to disinfect water and it turns the water pink when it dissolves.
Our Pick for the Best Potassium Permanganate Filters
Removes solids smaller than 1 micron to purify drinking water
Introduces calcium, potassium and magnesium into purified water to remineralise it
Reduces over 74 contaminants, metals, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals
Targets chlorine and ammonia via carbon filtration
Tank needs to be maintained and kept clean
Modular all-in-one filter design for easy maintenance
Comes with a complete DIY-friendly installation kit
EPA approved and certified by leading drinking water environmental groups
More expensive than most systems
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Pink Tap Water? Blame Water Contamination
Residents in places like Ohio and Trenton have woken up to find pink water coming out of the taps. However, authorities insist that the unnatural looking water is not dangerous.
Tap water might turn pink because of a malfunction at the filtration plant that supplies water to your area.
In June 2019, when residents of Coal Grove Ohio found pink water flowing from their taps, authorities told them that the water was safe for drinking. However, it will stain the laundry.
When alarmed residents of Coal Grove, Ohio started complaining, authorities responded by saying that it is a malfunction at the water treatment plant that supplies tap water for the area. As a result of the malfunction too much potassium permanganate disinfectant was released into the water producing the shocking pink discoloration. The authorities said that samples of the water were tested and found to have potassium permanganate levels below that were safe according to EPA standards.
Although just 7 pounds of potassium permanganate is used at the facility for disinfection purposes, on the day of the incident, about a hundred pounds were released into the water by accident. As a result, pink discoloration appeared in the water. However, even though such a large amount of the chemical entered the water supply, authorities insist that it is safe since the water is within EPA safety standards for potassium permanganate.
Uses of Potassium Permanganate
Potassium permanganate also helps to remove manganese and iron from tap water. The chemical removes these heavy metals by oxidizing them. In the oxidized form, these heavy metals turn into bigger particles that can be filtered out easily before the water goes into the piping system.
Besides removing iron and manganese ions, potassium permanganate can also remove hydrogen sulfide from the water. Hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs and is responsible for the foul smell in waste water and well water.
Potassium permanganate is also an antiseptic agent. Hence, it finds use in the treatment of lesions, ulcers and wounds that are superficial in nature.
However, since it is a strong oxidizer, it has the same drawback as another powerful oxidizer chlorine. If the undiluted form comes into direct contact with your skin, then it will result in burns and irritation.
Due to these properties, potassium permanganate is a powerful chemical for water treatment. In fact, besides chlorine, it is the most widely used water treatment chemical. One of the major downsides of potassium permanganate is that it can discolor laundry. Hence, you should not use discolored pink water to wash your clothes.
Removing Pink Discoloration from Your Tap Water
Pink discoloration of water due to excessive potassium permanganate is not very common. When they do happen, authorities fix the problem by trying to dilute water so that the shocking pink color goes away. They will look into the mechanical problem that led to the addition of large amounts of potassium permanganate in order to fix it. Even after the addition of large amounts of potassium permanganate, the water supply is well within EPA safety guidelines. Hence, authorities do not normally issue a warning even when there is a deep pink discoloration in the tap water as a result of potassium permanganate. Officials say that the water poses no danger despite its intense discoloration since it does not exceed hazardous levels as defined by the EPA.
When the water does turn pink, it does not remain in this state for too long since authorities can take immediate action to resolve the issue like flushing large amounts of clean water into the water supply to dilute it and fixing the mechanical failure that led to the addition of large quantities of potassium permanganate.
What You Can Do About Pink Water
Hence, you should not panic if you find that the water is pink since the color will soon go away and it is not dangerous in the short term. However, you should still take steps to remove the small amounts of potassium permanganate that normally remain in water even when it is clear.
Besides potassium permanganate, there may be other chemicals and pollutants in your water supply, including heavy metals, pharmaceutical compounds, organic solvents, herbicides and pesticides among several others. Heavy metals commonly found in tap water include lead, mercury, chromium and manganese. Other toxic substances like arsenic are also commonly found in tap water. These substances are dangerous for your health and may damage your health if ingested over the long term. Consuming these toxic substances through tap water may lead to several chronic conditions, including cancer and neurological problems.
Hence, you need an efficient solution for removing these harmful compounds from your tap water to render it safe both for yourself and your loved ones.
Reverse Osmosis Is the Answer
Reverse osmosis systems are the gold standard in water treatment since they can remove a wide array of toxic compounds in your tap water that are a serious cause of concern for you.
Reverse osmosis works by forcing untreated water through a semipermeable membrane. The water that is forced through the membrane has fewer harmful contaminants. The semipermeable membrane allows water particles to pass through but filters other contaminants.
Reverse osmosis systems often have multiple stages for improved filtration performance. As a result of this, you can be assured that all kinds of contaminants are being substantially removed from your tap water.
The semipermeable membrane is a high performance filtration material. It has the capability to remove around 98 percent of total dissolved solids.
A reverse osmosis system can bring down all kinds of harmful contaminants, including fluoride, salt, sediment, chlorine, arsenic, volatile organic compounds, herbicides, pesticides, and toxic heavy metalsm including lead and mercury.
So if you are worried about foul smelling water that has a horrible taste and suspicious appearance, then you should not hesitate to install a reverse osmosis system. Even if your water looks clear, there is no telling what toxic compounds may be lurking in there and what they can do to your health in the long term.
So take no chances and install a reverse osmosis filter today!
Removes solids smaller than 1 micron to purify drinking water
Introduces calcium, potassium and magnesium into purified water to remineralise it
Reduces over 74 contaminants, metals, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals
Targets chlorine and ammonia via carbon filtration
Tank needs to be maintained and kept clean
Modular all-in-one filter design for easy maintenance
Comes with a complete DIY-friendly installation kit
EPA approved and certified by leading drinking water environmental groups
More expensive than most systems
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