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Why St. Louis tap water turns cloudy each winter

water tap with hot water steam, closeup view

ST. LOUIS — Have you noticed that city water tends to get cloudy each winter? A new memo from the Department of Public Utilities explains the annual phenomenon. The city says the issue is not related to water quality or safety.

The change in opacity is in response to winter fluctuations in water temperature and pressure. The water turns cloudy while sitting for long periods of time, warming in basement pipes.

Running the tap for a few minutes will usually remove most of the milky look from the water. The change in color is not an indication of water quality problems or contamination.