Rusty tap water: what to do, where to complain, can you wash in it?

The orange stream coming from the tap no longer surprises many people. This phenomenon often occurs among residents of apartment buildings, in areas where pipes were laid many years ago. However, although this is a common situation, rusty tap water poses a significant health hazard. It is prohibited to use it for drinking and household needs (washing dishes, bathing, etc.). Moreover, it causes significant damage to household appliances (dishwashers and washing machines). If the appearance of rusty water is an isolated case, then there is no need to worry too much. But if this happens on an ongoing basis, urgent measures must be taken to solve the problem.

Why does rusty water come out of cold and hot taps?

There may be several reasons why red water comes out of the tap:

• The pipes that carry fluid into homes wear out over time. And since they are most often metal, the inside becomes covered with rust.
• Dirt and soil can get into the pipes, causing their color to change.
• Scheduled repairs, preventive maintenance or accident.
• Too much sediment has accumulated in the pipes, and the flowing water “captures” it along with it.
• Water purification is not carried out fully.

Repair or emergency work - the reason is the simplest and most common. It is in this case that the color of the water returns to normal after a few minutes. And this is considered quite acceptable by law.

If you remember the school curriculum (physics and chemistry), the coloring of water after it is turned off is easily explained. When the pipes are completely filled, they oxidize slowly. But as soon as they become empty, the process of rust formation accelerates many times due to interaction with oxygen. Then the jet carries away the formed particles, and the pipes are quickly cleaned. Clear liquid flows from the taps again.

In other cases, along with water, rust, iron and just dirt constantly enter apartments. And this is already a basis for a complaint. Since paid services must be provided of high quality and safe for health. This is regulated by Government Decree No. 307 “On the procedure for providing public services to citizens.”

Is it possible to drink it

SanPin 2.1.4.1074-01.2.1.4 determines the quality of water and the maximum level of iron content in it - 0.3 mg per liter. A person does not notice this 0.3 mg; for us the color seems transparent. We drink (although it’s better to boil it), cook food, and wash dishes.

If the permissible limit is exceeded slightly, then you can no longer drink. A slight excess is 0.4-0.8 mg/liter. The color becomes slightly yellowish.

This water can be used to wash dishes. But it’s better to settle it first: fill the container (preferably a glass jar so that the sediment is visible), set aside for 3 hours and carefully, without shaking, pour into another container.

When the water turns bright yellow, orange or even brown, it should not be consumed for any purpose.

What are the dangers of drinking poor quality water?

Deteriorating health:

• threat of heart attack;
• diseases of the liver, stomach, intestines;
• the immune system weakens, headaches appear, the body quickly weakens;
• in some cases - the risk of cancer.

Is it possible to swim, wash, or wash your hair in rusty water?

Water contaminated with rust is a threat not only to human health, but also to equipment. Toilet tanks, hoses and pumps of washing machines, and showers become clogged. Linen changes color and it is not a fact that it will be washed later.

Washing, bathing and washing your hair is also not recommended. If you wash in it, then you risk skin pigmentation, brittleness and hair loss.

That is, rusty, yellowish water from the tap is not just unpleasant, it poses a threat to human health and the serviceability of equipment.

Why is it dangerous for the body and equipment?

It has been known since childhood that drinking dirty water is fraught with intestinal disorders. However, this is only a small part of the threats to human health. Many people mistakenly believe that drinking rusty water will pass without a trace or will only result in an unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth, which will quickly disappear. But that's not true. Of course, a single dose will not cause severe damage to the body. However, if it is a child, the consequences can be much more complex and even life-threatening. With constant drinking of such water, the effect of accumulation of iron in the cells develops, due to which various hormonal disorders arise, allergic reactions are activated, the condition of the teeth (especially enamel), deteriorates the skin (pigmentation appears on the body), and alopecia (partial or complete) is also possible ).

As mentioned above, a layer of rust can become a living environment for some microorganisms that harm not only the pipeline, but also people. The accumulation of oxidized iron is guaranteed to lead to the formation of constipation, a reduction in the internal diameter of the pipes and, accordingly, to a decrease in their functioning. Often such blockage leads to ruptures and other emergency situations requiring immediate assistance from special services. Simple cleaning will not solve this problem, so the only possible solution is to completely replace the unusable area.

Dirty water greatly harms household appliances and dishes that have a polished surface. Brown spots begin to appear on it, and a dense layer of plaque appears on the heating parts. Using cleaning products will not bring the desired result and will not help revive household items. It is much more effective to use filters that retain Fe compounds.

Poor water quality: what to do, how to prove it

Evidence of unsatisfactory water quality, its yellow or orange color, will be photographic and video materials. Naturally, they must be of high quality. It would be good if the shooting date is visible. This way you can prove that this phenomenon occurs regularly.

It would be great if you have the results of tests and tests.

Attach a copy of receipts for payment for the resource, as well as an agreement with the management company.

This evidence will be useful when contacting the prosecutor's office and housing inspection.

What to do, where to complain

There is no need to wait for hours on end for clean water to flow, and there is no need to constantly drain it either. Especially if meters are installed. The resource supplying organization is obliged to provide quality services (the same Government Decree No. 307).

What to do in such a situation and where to complain?

First of all, call the city emergency dispatch service. If scheduled repair or maintenance work is being carried out at your address, the dispatcher will report this. The time for completion of this work will also be indicated.

If no work is carried out, then the service is obliged to record the fact of the request, the date and time in the log and take corrective measures. The legislation allocates 2 working days for this.

Ask for your application registration number.

You can submit a complaint or application:

• orally - by phone or simply come to a specific organization;
• in writing - by registered mail, just keep the receipt, it will be proof of your request to the service provider;
• by email.

For example, you can write an appeal on the website of the GIS Housing and Communal Services - “State Information System of Housing and Communal Services.”

So, you called or wrote a letter to the emergency dispatch service. Within 2 days, employees of the city water canal should come to you, check the quality of the water and draw up an inspection report. The act must be certified with signatures.

Keep a copy of it for yourself. It will be useful, if the water utility does not respond to the appeal, then you will have to act further - write applications to the management company, housing inspection, Rospotrebnadzor, and the prosecutor's office.

Where to buy a filter to get rid of this problem

If you want to provide yourself with clean and safe water, then you should turn to specialists. provides the opportunity to purchase quality products, which have confirmed their high status for many years. By contacting us, you will forever forget about calls to housing and communal services and will be able to open the tap carefree without fear for your own life or the health of your loved ones.

Why is rusty water flowing from the tap, what are the reasons, what to do, how to get rid of it and where to complain - these are the questions asked by more and more people who are faced with a similar situation. It is important to understand that its solution does not require delay. There is no need to rely on self-resolution, because lost time can cost you and your loved ones health. It is better to determine in advance the exact cause of this phenomenon and take adequate measures to completely eliminate it.

Is it possible to request a recalculation?

Recalculation of fees for dirty, low-quality water is made based on:

• act of taking a sample, or “claim”;
• independent examination report;
• court order.

That is, if the water utility, despite the statements, did not fix the problem, the employees did not come to the applicant to check, the owner has the right to contact an independent company to conduct an examination. True, you will have to pay the money for the examination yourself, and then recover it from the supplier or from the management company in court.

Recalculation is done from the date of application until the fault is restored.

In addition to recalculating utility bills, it is possible to file a claim for damages. The claim is filed against the management company or water utility.

But when you demand recalculation or compensation for damage, you need to remember one nuance. The cause of rust can be the replacement of pipes with new ones by the owner himself in the premises belonging to him, that is, in the apartment, starting from the first wiring. The only exception is the riser. It passes through the apartment and is common property.

Therefore, before you start writing a statement, think about whether you yourself may be the cause of problems with water.

Requirements

He has the right to demand not only to improve the quality of water supplied under the contract, but also to eliminate payment for water that is rusty or contaminated with other contaminants. If, due to poor water supply, the filters in the system have deteriorated and the apartment owner has changed them, the supplier must cover the cost of replacing the treatment equipment.

You can also claim compensation for other losses specifically related to the supply of yellow water. Consumer protection laws, contracts with service providers, and other documents make it possible to act as much as possible in your own interests.

Contacting the Criminal Code and response times

The management company is the first instance where you complain about water that is unfit for consumption. The legal address, company name and full name of the manager are usually posted on stands in the entrances of houses. Or find this data on the official website.

Complete the application in 2 copies. You keep the second one for yourself.

If you deliver the document in person, ask to sign for receipt on both copies. If by registered mail, keep the receipts.

After receiving the application, representatives of the management company are required to come to your home, record that rusty, yellowish water is flowing from the tap, and draw up an inspection report.

The law allows 1 month to eliminate the reasons for the complaint and provide a response.

If after this period the water quality does not change, then contact higher authorities.

Sample application

It is better if the statement is collective, because you are not the only one who suffers from dirty water. But if in other apartments it flows transparently, then the reason is most likely in you. Therefore, remember if you changed the pipes yourself the day before.

In your complaint, present the facts briefly, competently, without lyrical digressions. Insist that payments for utilities are made on time (attach payment receipts), so demand that they be supplied of normal quality.

At the end, warn that you reserve the right to appeal to higher authorities if the violation is not eliminated.

complaints to the manager ]via link[/anchor]. ⇐

Complaint to the Housing Inspectorate

The Housing Inspectorate exercises direct control over the activities of management companies and has broad powers:

• issues licenses;
• conducts scheduled inspections;
• conducts unscheduled inspections based on citizens' complaints;
• issues orders to eliminate violations;
• revokes licenses (through court).

You file a complaint with this organization both about the unsatisfactory quality of the water (in addition to dirt and rust, you can indicate that it is not hot enough, if this is actually the case), and the inaction of the management company to eliminate this fact.

You can submit your application electronically. By clicking on the link, you will find a list of inspections for the subjects of the Federation, data of managers and addresses of official websites.

You can find information about the housing inspectorate of Moscow and the Moscow region here. ⇐

Sample complaint

You can also apply using a written application, sending it by mail or bringing it in person.

In the document you indicate:

• your details and name of the organization;
• information about the management company;
• the essence of the problem (dirty water has been flowing for a certain time, the management company does not take any action);
• your requirements;
• date, signature.

Be sure to attach a copy of the agreement with the management company, since you are based on the fact that they violated contractual obligations.

complaints to the housing inspectorate at this link. ⇐

Contact Rospotrebnadzor

Since there has been a violation of the quality of paid services, a threat has arisen to the life and health of citizens due to the possibility of water poisoning, it is worth contacting Rospotrebnadzor.

This organization will verify the facts stated in the application, take water samples and analyze them, and impose a fine on the management company and the supplier. In some cases, it will help to identify and eliminate the cause of contamination.

There is a single toll-free number: 8-800-100-00-04 for all regions of our country.

The application is submitted electronically to the official website of Rospotrebnadzor. ⇐

These are contacts of federal services. You can speed up the consideration of your application by contacting the local authorities of Rospotrebnadzor. The link lists the website addresses of regional representatives of the organization.

Drawing up a complaint

Application structure:

• In the header of the document, indicate the name of the organization and postal address;
• the word “statement” in the middle;
• a detailed description of the essence of the problem;
• your requirements;
• date and signature.

Attach all available evidence.

complaints to Rospotrebnadzor via the link. ⇐

HOA “Industrialnaya, 6” – Shcherbinka

Where to apply

Map

To the prosecutor's office

Complain to the prosecutor's office last. Otherwise, the claim will simply be redirected back, for example, to the same housing inspection (if you missed this authority).

Do you want to apply online? Go to the official website of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation and enter your region in the “Prosecutor's Offices of Subjects” tab.

There you will also find postal addresses of regional prosecutors' offices.

The emphasis in the statement should be placed not so much on the rusty, dirty water, but on the fact that the management company and the housing inspection did not take any action on your appeals. Or they didn't provide an answer at all.

complaints to the prosecutor's office. ⇐

HOA “All Together” – Shcherbinka

Where to apply

Address on the map