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If tub is stained with blue, is our water safe to drink?

Is the water safe to drink if I have blue water staining my bath tub?

Mindy Suarez
Home owner - Amherst, New Hampshire
March 22, 2009

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Hi, Mindy. If I could see a blue tint to the water, I would not drink it. If it's only a small blue stain that builds up after many days, it could be perfectly safe. But when something is out of the ordinary, I'd ask the health department to test it.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
March 27, 2009

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Its found sometimes in some parts of Scotland that Copper is in the drinking water. It forms a blue stain under that taps on white baths and sinks, but only after some time and only normally under the taps.
Its hard to remove this stain.
The water in these cases is OK to drink. But the water doesn't have any blue tint, it looks clear. Its only the stain that shows.

Geoff Crowley
Crithwood Ltd.
Westfield, Scotland, UK

March 31, 2009

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I agree with Geoff, I reckon that the blue colour is due to copper being dissolved in the water. It may taste a bit metallic and not very pleasant, but I am not sure what damage it will do you - it all depends on how much copper is in there!. I would get it analysed and and then contact your water company to make sure it is OK to drink.

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
April 2, 2009