Different smell or taste
There could be several reasons why your water smells or tastes different.
We go through the most common reasons for water having a different smell or taste. Plus what you can do if this happens. Click on the section you need help with.
Chlorine
We use a small amount of chlorine as part of the water treatment process. Occasionally you may notice the smell or taste of chlorine due to:
- High volume of water being used at peak times. This means the water is moving more quickly from water treatment works to your property.
- The closer you are to water treatment works
- Temporary changes in supply direction. For example, during isolation of a burst water main.
The level of chlorine leaving the water treatments works is usually around 0.9 part per million (mg/l). For comparison this is the equivalent to adding just less than a gram of chlorine to 1,000 litres of water. We use the level recommended by the World Health Organisation.
What you can do
The amount of chlorine that we add to your drinking water is safe to drink. However, if you don’t like the taste, you can fill a jug and put it in the fridge overnight. This will cause the chlorine smell and taste to dissipate. Make sure to drink this water within 24 hours.
Domestic water or jug filters can also be used to remove chlorine from tap water. Please use these as advised by the manufacturers instructions.
Earthy or musty
An earthly or musty taste can be caused by a high number of microorganisms. These are present within your internal plumbing, water outlets, and taps.
What you can do
There are a few things you can do to help prevent an earthy or musty taste in your water:
- If your property has been empty for a while, run your cold taps for around five minutes. This will allow any old water in the pipes to pass through
- Use your water on a regular basis
- Put insulation on pipes to prevent the hot water pipes from warming the cold water pipes
- Use a chlorine-based cleaner to remove fungal growth and slime
- Close taps for washing machines and dishwashers not being used for a while.
- Install non-return valves to appliances and outside taps. This prevents any used water going back into your drinking water pipes.
TCP or medicinal
A TCP taste can be caused by chlorine compounds.
These compounds are often formed when chlorine reacts with certain materials. This can include:
- Tap washers
- Plastic kettles
- Washing machines
- Dishwashers
- Connection hoses between internal plumbing and household appliances. For example dishwashers or washing machines
- Rubber anti-splash attachments
- Plastic pipework
The taste may be more obvious in hot drinks.
What you can do
Kettles
- If you have a new kettle, fill it up and boil it and throw the water away twice before you use it.
- To test whether the kettle is causing the strange taste, boil water in a pan instead and compare the taste
Household appliances
- Close taps for washing machines and dishwashers not being used for a while. This is only the case if they are plumbed into drinking water pipes
- Install non-return valves to appliances and outside taps. This prevents any used water going back into your drinking water pipes.
Petrol, diesel or oil
If you notice any petrol, diesel or oil, it’s possible that this has come from your supply pipe.
Over time this can leach through plastic water pipes into the drinking water supply. This can come from a spill from a car onto a driveway or a leak on an oil fuel tank.
What you can do
If you notice this taste or smell, please contact us immediately and do not drink water from your taps. Our water quality experts will assess the situation and let you know what to do.
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