Is there a household method to decolorize potentially contaminated water? I am living in my dorms at the moment and apparently it is an accepted thing that the water in the building is brown and yellow. According to my RA, this is a characteristic of the town I live in.

The only "clean" water we get is a water filter at the zeroth floor of our building where transparent water comes out.

Other than that the water that comes out of the tap, the kitchen, the shower, and the toilet bowl is light yellowish-brown water. I haven't done enough research as the cause of this problem. 

Boiling water doesn't seem to change the colour either (is this even possible?). I for one cannot live like this, so I am asking the community here if they know a household method to remove the discoloration from the water.
A simple test you can do is to boil a large amount of the water and see if a sediment is left in the vessel. This will tell you certain things about you contaminant.


Is it particulate? We expect so because a filter is removing the contaminant.
Is it's boiling point below that of water?


If you get a residue what is it's state? I'm expecting a solid, I dont anticipate a coloured liquid that is miscible in water with a boiling point higher than water.


Does it burn? How does it burn? Colour of flame? Further residue?


I'd also try adding a colourless surfactant to the water, does it remain coloured?