Residents furious as brown tap water resembles ‘gravy’ on Danish island

Residents on the Danish island of Læsø are complaining after brown, murky water began flowing from their taps, staining laundry and forcing them to buy bottled water, DR reports.

“It looks like brown gravy,” said Ole Lind, a long-time resident. “Really, really disgusting water.” He added that he had tried tasting it but now avoids drinking it, relying instead on bottled water.

The issue has particularly affected Lind’s café near the harbour, where the discoloured water has made it impossible to rinse rice properly for Thai dishes. “The white rice turned brown,” he said. Laundry has also been ruined, with white shirts now stained.

Another resident, Preben Jensen, described the problem as recurring: “One day the water is clear, the next it’s almost sludge. We buy bottled water during these periods—we don’t bathe or wash clothes, because it leaves yellow stains.”

Læsø Forsyning, the island’s utility provider, acknowledged the problem but stressed the water remains safe to drink. Director Hanne Krogh admitted, “No one wants to drink brown water that looks like coffee.”

The discolouration is caused by iron-rich ochre and organic matter being stirred up in the pipes, particularly when water demand spikes—such as during the Easter holiday, when tourist numbers rise. While the utility is testing new water treatment methods and flushing affected pipes, Krogh warned the issue may persist.

“We can’t predict who will be affected,” she said. “One neighbour might have clear water while the next has brown.”