Seeing a rusty color in your water? Here’s why and what you can do about it

Water company SUEZ is opening up fire hydrants to flush out its water mains in Boise, causing a rusty color in the water coming out of some customers’ taps, spokeswoman Stephanie Raddatz said.

The company flushes its system every year to clean out sediment that has built up over the winter due to less intense use of water, Raddatz said. The flushing takes place at night.

Iron and manganese are what discolors the water. Both are naturally occurring minerals that are not harmful to drink or put in contact with human skin, Raddatz said.

Running your tap for a few minutes should clear up the discoloration, she said.

For more information on the flushing process, including specific locations where it will take place, call SUEZ at (208) 362-7334.

This story was originally published April 18, 2017 at 11:02 AM with the headline "Seeing a rusty color in your water? Here’s why and what you can do about it."