water quality · guide · TN LLP #5045
Sediment and Grit in the Water
Where it comes from on well and city supply, and what filters it.
Short answer
Grit or cloudiness usually means sediment — sand, silt, or rust particles. On a well it often comes from the formation or a failing pump. On city supply it is frequently stirred up by main work or a hydrant flush and clears on its own. Persistent sediment is worth filtering, because it wears valves and fixtures.
Sediment is the least glamorous water problem and one of the most mechanically damaging. Fine grit passing through valves and cartridges acts like a very slow abrasive.
Where it comes from
On a private well, sediment usually originates in the formation the well draws from, or from a pump that is drawing too close to the bottom. Rural properties across Polk and Meigs County see this regularly.
On city supply it is usually temporary and follows disturbance — a main repair, a hydrant flush, or a pressure change. If it clears in a day or two, that is what it was.
Sediment only on the hot side is a different story and generally means the water heater has been accumulating it.
What it damages
Faucet cartridges and shower valves, which start dripping because grit prevents a clean seal. Toilet fill valves. Appliance inlet screens. And it accumulates in the bottom of the water heater, where it insulates the burner.
None of these are dramatic failures. They are a steady tax on everything the water touches.
What filtering involves
A sediment filter at the main line catches particles before they reach anything, and it is straightforward. The specification comes down to particle size and how much sediment there is, which is a testing question.
If sediment is heavy and constant on a well, that is worth investigating rather than just filtering — a filter that clogs every few weeks is telling you something upstream needs attention.
Permits
Some plumbing work requires a permit and an inspection, and some does not. Whether one is required for your job is determined by the Authority Having Jurisdiction — the city or county building and codes office for your address — and it is at their discretion.
Usually requires a permit
- Water heater replacement and tankless conversion
- Whole-house repiping
- Water service line and sewer line replacement
- Gas line installation and repair
- Relocating a fixture to a new position
Usually does not
- Drain cleaning and clearing blockages
- Emergency and repair work
- Like-for-like fixture replacement
- Water heater repair
- Camera inspection and diagnostics
This is general guidance rather than a ruling, and it can differ from one town to the next. The Authority Having Jurisdiction makes the determination. Across the Bradley–McMinn corridor we pull the permit and book the inspection ourselves. Inside Hamilton County and Chattanooga the permit office does not accept an application from our license class, so permit-required jobs there are referred to a licensed partner who does the work and meets the inspector.
Common questions
Sediment and Grit in the Water — questions
My water went cloudy suddenly. Should I worry?
Cloudy water that clears from the bottom up?
Only the hot water has grit in it.
Will I know the price before you start?
Are you licensed?
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