Why does my water smell or taste of chlorine?
By law we must disinfect all public water supplies. Most of the time we use chlorine-based chemicals to ensure water is safe to drink; and contains no organisms which could cause illness. We only add enough chlorine to disinfect, whilst minimising taste and smell.
The level of chlorine in water supplies can vary slightly depending on the distance the water has to travel through our pipes. Customers who live closer to the Treatment Works may notice higher levels of chlorine and water smells. At times of high demand, such as first thing in the morning and late afternoon, more people use water meaning the water travels to you more quickly and may contain more chlorine. With time, the concentration of chlorine in the water pipes reduces.
What to do if your water smells or tastes of chlorine
Remove the taste
Drinking water that tastes faintly of chlorine isn't unsafe. However, if you'd prefer to remove the taste, you can follow these simple steps. This process is called off-gassing, and will help your water taste more normal:
- Fill a glass jug or bottle with tap water
- Cover it
- Leave it in the fridge for an hour before drinking
Please note: you shouldn't leave water in the fridge for longer than 24 hours to ensure it remains free from harmful bacteria.
Contact us
There is usually no need to contact us. Your water will return to normal by itself in a mater of days if not hours.
However, if you find that the taste persists longer than five days, please do get in touch with us and we'll help you get it back to normal for you.