Why is my water cloudy after changing my water filter cartridge?

Whenever a high-end water filter cartridge is changed, it is normal for the water produced by the new filter to have a very cloudy, milky appearance. This is due to very tiny air bubbles in the water. If you fill a clear glass with the cloudy water, you can see the tiny air bubbles slowly rise to the top of the glass over time leaving a clear, clean glass of water. The water is perfectly fine to drink. The air in the water is the same air that you are breathing. This cloudiness is because when the new water filter cartridge is manufactured, the filter is full of air. Fine micron ratings of 10, 5 or even lower will increase the cloudiness. When the first water starts to flow through the filter cartridge it is pushing the air out of the filter media creating thousands of very tiny air bubbles.

Once the filter has become completely saturated and all the air in the filter is gone, the filter will stop producing cloudy water. Cheap, low-grade filters or cartridges with 25- or 50-micron ratings do not create this condition or it will be less noticeable and for a shorter period of time. Depending on how often the filter is used and the volume of water that flows through the cartridge, it is normal for the filter to produce cloudy water for a few days or up to 4 weeks for fine micron cartridges with less frequent use. Unfortunately, there is no solution to make this cloudiness go away or to speed up the saturation process. The condition will reoccur every time the filter cartridge is changed.

Additional Resources:

https://support.boshart.com/how-to-replace-a-whole-house-water-filter-cartridge