‘Green and cloudy': Viewers share concerns about drinking water in NBC6 survey

We asked for your help, and you answered. 

Around 170 people took our NBC6 informal survey on water quality. 

When asked what most concerned them about their drinking water, almost 20% of respondents mentioned the smell or color of their tap water. 

One viewer from Fort Lauderdale wrote their water “comes out yellow from the faucet.” In Miramar, a viewer described their water as “Green and Cloudy.” 

About 40% of survey takers were concerned about contamination and what potentially harmful chemicals were making it into their water. 

These are similar concerns shared by Luis Enrique Chiu, who lives in North Miami Beach. 

He posted a video on social media that showed brownish water coming from the water hose at his house. 

“Because I was watching my boat and all of a sudden, you know, the floor of the boat is white and it start coming like a red water out of the water hose,” Chiu said. 

After we reached out to the City of North Miami Beach, they tested the water at his home. All the water quality characteristics came back within the acceptable range except for what’s known as turbidity, which was slightly elevated. 

Turbidity looks at the color and cloudiness of the water typically caused by particles that get stirred up and settle in the water. 

A city spokesperson told us their system was undergoing a flushing process which is why the water was discolored. She also told us that the elevated level of turbidity is not a health risk whatsoever. 

“Just let it flush for a couple of minutes, and it should come out clear,” said North Miami Beach Communications Manager Jennifer Torna.

Torna says anyone with questions about their water quality can contact the City of North Miami Beach and file a formal complaint. The city’s staff will then come out and test the water at your home. 

It’s important to remember that water quality can vary dramatically depending on where you live. 

In Miami-Dade County, a bulk of the water is treated by the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department with a few smaller municipalities handling their own. 

Broward County is made up of a dozen individual water districts, some covering a whole city and others just a neighborhood. 

The only way to get a snapshot of the quality of your water is to look at the individual quality reports of your water system. This gives you an overview of the water quality, but that doesn’t mean the water quality can’t change during the year.