wrote
wow - the fact that several people have suggested the same cause makes
me wonder about the "dip tube" in the hot water heater...

if it helps any, the hot water will eventually stain the bathroom sink
a light "blue" - same goes for the bathtub...it can be removed with a
bleach-based cleaner...

my guess is it's the chemical reaction of the powder in the copper
piping, but it could also be the white powder coming from the taps, as
it's not always just plain "white" powder - sometimes white with blue
specks...

this is certainly more than i bargained for in a new home, and will be
diligently cleaning out aerators and watching the hot water flow for
some time until i can figure out EXACTLY what the cause is.

(could it REALLY be the dip tube in the hot water heater?!? i mean,
it's less than 2 months old! and for what it's worth, it's a
gas-heater, and can be turned WAY up in heat)

Dip tube material will burn, it's plastic, so try burning some of the
stuff and see what happens. Vinegar doesn't always cause hard water
scale to fizz... I do not believe you'd get a bad dip tube in a new
water heater within the last few months or year. Sulfates, chlorides and
high alkalinity or TDS could be the cause of the particles so get a
water analysis done. Do you have any hot water recirculation system?

The blue is copper. It could be caused by low pH water, high TDS,
soldering flux (a good possibility) or simply the newness of the tubing
allowing the copper to form its normal patina; which actually is
corrosion but it is normal. The softener will prevent any scale
formation to 'protect' the new tubing from the water and the patina will
take longer to form.

I don't recall if you have your own well or city water but if it's city
water, the water companies sometimes add chemicals that precipitate out
of solution when the water is heated, that could be the cause of the
"rocks".

Gary
Quality Water Associates