Dirty water?

[D_W]

I'd get the water tested, but doubt that it's the supplier.

If you get the water tested, you'll know whether it's cosmetic or not.

you can also get testing strips for cheap that will test for an enormous number of metals and common contaminants. Probably sold to campers to test water sources, not sure. They're about $20 for a hundred test strips here.

Soap, especially if it's something "environmentally friendly" can also be a food source and allow things to grow even with relatively little coming off of plates.

The last suggestion will sound nutty, but if you know someone who has a bio microscope since the strips generally test for minerals or elements, you can look at water through a bio scope and if there is bacteria in it, you will see it.

I would be surprised, though, if there wasn't a small lab that you could either use or send water to for basic analysis for a very low price.

 

[Spectric]

Once when down in London i filled a glass from the tap and spat it back out. Utterly disgusting.

That might be because it is heavily re used, out of a discharge into the thames where it is mixed with god knows what and then drawn back into the water works so it goes round and round.

 

[Sandyn]

The only other thing worth mentioning is that, when filling the cold rinse sink, the water is virtually opaque, appearing grey/silver. It's as if it's going to settle as a sediment, but doesn't - it simply disappears, leaving (what appears to be) clear cold water.

that is often the result of trapped air in the water supply, especially after the water board has been working on the supply. We get that when they work on the chlorination process. The water is cloudy, clears from the bottom up and in our case can detect the smell of the chlorine.

 

[Sandyn]

Your kitchen tap isnt drawing from a tank in the loft by any chance? its unusual now but in years gone by it was more common, it was often the case that bathrooms were set up like this and the kitchen was difect off the mains

I still have a large water storage tank in the loft which supplies cold water for the shower and bath. All the cold taps are direct feed from the mains. Reading this has reminded me to give the tank a clean. It's amazing what rubbish collects in the storage tank.