| Color of Stain | Possible Cause | Treatment Options |
| White, gray | Calcium hardness | Water softening |
| Alkalinity | Deionization, de-alkalizers | |
| Total Dissolved Solids | Reverse Osmosis | |
| Rust, orange, yellow | Iron | Iron filter |
| Corrosion iron pipes | Corrosion control, acid neutralizer | |
| Black, brown | Manganese | Greensand filter, chlorination followed by filtration |
| Iron bacteria | Chlorination or ozone, followed by filtration | |
| Hydrogen sulfide | Chlorination or ozone, followed by filtration | |
| Tannins, humic acid | Tannin filter, chlorination followed by filtration | |
| Blue, green | Corrosion copper pipes | Corrosion control, acid neutralizer |
| Pink | Airborne bacteria | Clean sinks, fixtures (not a water quality issue) |
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