We carry out maintenance on our water supply network on a regular basis. Inevitably such interventions result in a number of disturbances to clients vis-a-vis water supply and/or water quality.
Such issues may include
- No water supply directly from mains during the intervention.
- On startup
– Low water pressure until mains are filled up and all air removed,
– Milky, cloudy tap water due to air trapped in the water.
Pour in a glass and see if water clears out from the bottom up after some time, to confirm.
- Rusty, murky water due to pressure disturbances in the network.
We may have been working on your water mains network and stirred up some iron sediments. This is normally short-lived and needs some time to be flushed through the mains.
- Strong chlorine smell /taste.
Refer to chlorine taste quick checklist.
All the above disturbances are only temporary following an intervention, and one should allow for a washout of up to three minutes from a tap after the meter. This should clear the issue out within 24hours of their appearance.
If the issues persist beyond 24 hours please call freephone 8007 6400 , so that expert assistance is provided.
If you run off water from the taps, don’t waste it, collect and use for watering houseplants or in the garden.
Chlorine taste – quick checklist
My tap water:
- tastes like chlorine, bleach or water in a swimming pool
- tastes or smells of chlorine in cold drinks only
- tastes more noticeable first thing in the morning or early evening.
What causes it?
We add chlorine in very small amounts at our water treatment works, monitoring the levels 24 hours a day. It is a legal requirement to disinfect the water supply and make sure it’s safe to drink.
Sometimes the chlorine is more noticeable, this is due to:
- your distance from the treatment works – the level of chlorine deteriorates over time, the closer you are the more noticeable it might be
- the water temperature – colder water holds chlorine for longer
- the time of day – first thing in the morning and early evening is peak time for water use, meaning the water has come more quickly from the water treatment works and may contain more chlorine
- if there’s a burst main in your area or the emergency services have drawn water from our water mains, as above, the water may have come more quickly from the water treatment works.
Did you know?
The level of chlorine added at the water treatments works is usually up to 1 part per million (mg/l).
Your local swimming pool is normally between 1.5 and 5 parts per million (mg/l).
What can I do?
- To remove chlorine, place a jug of water in the fridge for a few hours before drinking it
- Don’t keep it for over 24 hours – removing the chlorine means your water isn’t protected against bacterial growth
If this doesn’t help or you also notice a taste or smell in hot drinks, it may be the chlorine’s reacting inside your plumbing. This is where water tastes metallic or like disinfectant.