The most common culprit for that brown water is your local water authority flushing the fire hydrants or doing main repairs. Think of it as the town giving the water pipes a giant, messy spring cleaning.
When they open those hydrants, the sudden rush of water can stir up sediment—like rust and minerals—that normally sits quietly at the bottom of the pipes. It’s the same reason you might get a brown glass of water from the kitchen tap after a big storm.
If only the hot water is brown, it’s likely your own water heater acting up. It’s like a pot of soup you forgot to stir—the tasty bits (in this case, rust) settle at the bottom until something disturbs them.
