In many areas, the cause may be people who have an insufficient supply, so they install a pump on the incoming pipe to raise pressure and so increase the flow. Sometimes, the water is then pumped up into an elevated tank to ensure that the premises' supply is always good. If a pump is not set up correctly with an automatic valve that prevents "sucking", the pump is able to suck water from the incoming pipe. This is a really bad idea because any leak further back in the incoming pipe is then an aperture able to draw in groundwater and/or sewage or worse because of the suction created. Where others are also connected incorrectly to the supply, then liquids may be drawn back into the supply from those premises as well. The consequence is that you see brown water, so indicating contamination as shown in the pictures. Personally, I would not let any of the contaminated water near me or my clothes. You never know what industrial chemicals may have entered the supply that could do you real harm.
