What is it in my water that stains white plastic pink?

My shower is white (not tile, but something like plastic), and I've begun to notice that certain places where water lays for awhile are turning pink. I've also noticed this on the inside of my dishwasher (which is off-white plastic), and on the rim of the nozzel of my sprayer at the kitchen sink. What is it in the water that causes this? Is my water still safe to drink?

What is it in my water that stains white plastic pink?
Large amounts of metal in your water will do this, hard water. Could be copper or iron minerals or both. Your water is probably safe, but it's just hard water. I would not be surprised if your washing machine has it too.





You didn't say if you owned your home, if you do I would get a water conditioning company to come test your water, they can recommend what kind of softener you need and ensure it is set to your water needs.





You will find that you use less laundry and dishwashing soap, your clothes are softer and you don't have any build up on the surfaces you mentioned.





You may want to add a reverse osmosis unit under your sink for better tasting water. If you live in Nevada, my uncle owns Las Vegas Water Conditioning I could have his office call you. But if you don't there is nothing to worry about because there are good water conditioning companies all over. Check to make sure they are licensed and their reputation with the Better Business Bureau





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_water








I believe your shower is fiberglass.
Reply:Sounds like iron in your water. It could come from rusted pipes.
Reply:rust from iron ore.the only to fix this problem is with a water softener,because you have hard water.once a water softener is installed,you will notice things never before,like cleaner clothes,cleaner dishes and a new softness to your hair and skin.it once was very expensive,but now you can go to your local home improvement store and purchase one for about $600.00,and they sell the salt needed.since i once worked for depot and Lowe's,i gained a lot of knowledge.one picture that showed where the hard water was coming from,was the picture of our local water table.i had my own well and guess where the local city dump was and guess how deep it was and where the water table was.i would never drink the water without filtering it.now days they have filters that will filter 99.99% of almost everything.
Reply:Some would say this is mold, but it's not. It's actually the iron in the water and iron that has built up in the city pipes and your home's pipes. Your water is still safe to drink. You just have to clean this every once in a while. I work for our city, and this is a constant complaint. We are trying to improve our water system, and this info is from the engineer.





We have a water softener, too. And I love it. However, if the problem is bad enough, the water softener won't solve it.
Reply:Iron in the water will do this. One source is rust in the galvanized iron pipes in your house. Another is the water supply.





Are you on city water or rural well? Are your neighbors having the same problem? How long have you lived there.





Very probably safe to drink. Does it taste funny?
Reply:you've heard iron, metal and hard water, the other answers are correct, but i didn't see anything about water heaters. if they are not maintained they can rust and clog up with sediment. that can be a source of the stains, too. all of the things you mention where you are finding the staining use hot water. CLR is good to clean stuff up with hard water stains. and i think the pink is rust and soap scum combined. that's what it was in our house. hope this helps and good luck.