Are your water cloth filters at home discoloured? Here's why

A resident at Tampines Street 83 was concerned when she discovered the cloth filters she had placed on her taps at home were discoloured.

However, PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, has clarified that the quality of tap water in the resident's home is safe for consumption.

Stomper Stacey told Stomp she had bought new cloth filters for her taps in January this year.

She found that within a day, they had become faintly yellow.

After another day, the stains got darker.

She was worried the tap water in her home had been contaminated.

In response to a Stomp query, a PUB spokesman explained the dicolouration of the cloths filters was due to minute amounts of naturally-occurring minerals in the tap water.

"PUB officers have gone to the resident’s home at Tampines Street 83 to collect water samples for testing," the spokesman said.

"The test results showed that the quality of tap water in the resident’s home was satisfactory and safe for consumption.

"There are minute amounts of naturally-occurring minerals in tap water.

"Discolouration of the cloth filter occurs when minerals absorbed in the filters are oxidised.

"Hence, customers who choose to add filters on their taps may see brownish deposits on their filters over time.

"Singapore’s tap water is well within the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) drinking water quality guidelines and is suitable for drinking without any filtration or use of filtration devices such as water filters or purifiers.

"PUB discourages the use of filtration devices as bacteria could grow on the filters if they are not cleaned or replaced regularly."