Water quality FAQs

Advice on water quality problems, including cloudy or discoloured water, unpleasant taste or odour, Legionnaires' disease, and concerns about lead in your water supply.

Appearance

White or cloudy water is often caused by excess air in the water supply to your home, and is common after an interruption to your water supply - such as a burst water pipe.

Brown water can be caused by naturally-occurring deposits of iron and manganese found in cast iron water pipes.

In both cases, the water usually returns to being clear after slowly running your cold kitchen tap, but if you have any concerns, contact your local water company.

Taste and odour

Watch this short video to know how to tackle strange tastes and smells in your drinking water.

Lead in water

Lead water pipes may be found in properties built before the 1970s when the practice was banned. It can be harmful to health, so this video shows how to check for lead water pipes.

Legionnaires' Disease

WaterSafe member company, the CIPHE, has a wealth of advice on preventing the growth of legionella bacteria and potentially contracting Legionaires’ Disease.

Hosepipe safety

To prevent strange tastes or smells, or contaminated water from your hosepipe entering your internal plumbing, we always recommend you disconnect your hose when not in use.

It should also have a suitable backflow prevention device fitted to make sure water doesn’t flow back into your home.