USGS Frequently Asked Questions
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Question:
Why does my drinking water look cloudy sometimes?
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Answer: Once in a while you get a glass of water, and it looks cloudy; maybe milky is a better term. After a few seconds it miraculously clears up! The cloudiness is due to tiny air bubbles in the water. Like any bubbles, the air rises to the top of the water and goes into the air, clearing up
the water. The water in the pipes coming into your house might be under a bit of pressure, and gases (the air), which are dissolved in the pressurized water, will come out as the water flows into your glass, where is under normal atmospheric pressure.
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Source of this FAQ:
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/qachemical.html
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey