Do you have galvanized plumbing? Brown water = rust.

It can also come from older water mains.

Yes I live on hawthorne avenue and if you don't run the water in any of the faucets or shower for a few days, then turn it on, its brown/yellow. i would think for the highest rents in the country they could at least have clean running water. I've traveled to what people would call the 3rd world and never even seen this.

Concrete encased water mains are also prone to cracking which allows dirt to enter.

If they are adjacent to sewer lines (many of which are concrete as well), feces & human wastes can also permeate them.

Tree roots are a common culprit contributing to cracked pipes.

Thank you for the replies. My posting lacked details, this was around 11pm on Monday, 3/25. By Tuesday morning, it was okay.

"If they are adjacent to sewer lines (many of which are concrete as well), feces & human wastes can also permeate them." Scary!

This is why you occasionally see fire hydrants being discharged/flushed...to eradicate accrued sediment & to ensure proper water pressure.

Always best to cook with/bottled water. H20 traveling from Hetch-Hetchy passes through a lot of locales within the state & some public utility departments are better than others in addressing water-related issues.

This is a bit off topic but when I am on vacation & like to have a swimming pool all to myself & it is filled with noisy kids splashing about, I just pull out a miniature Baby Ruth & let it float about yelling, 'Look someone pooped!'

I then pop it in my mouth & the kids go screaming as they exit the pool en masse.

Then I order another mai tai & enjoy the quiet.