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Discoloured water

Discoloured water icon

Discoloured water can range from a light, straw-yellow colour to a dark brown and may even have bits in it. 

🛈 Discoloured water can contain sediment; by using your hot water supply, you could bring this through your hot water pipes and appliances.

To avoid this, wait until the cold water runs clear before using the hot water taps or appliances such as dishwashers or washing machines.

  • This temporary discolouration is likely caused by historical sediment disturbances in the water main, for example, when there is a burst pipe or if the fire service is using a lot of water to tackle a fire. 

    This is mostly seen in our older cast iron pipework. To help prevent this, we are replacing and updating our pipework.  

  • Run your tap

    Running your tap for around 20 minutes at a pencil thin flow should clear the water. Do this from the tap closest to your inside stop valve (if you don’t know where this is, it is normally under your kitchen sink, so it is advised to run your kitchen tap). 

    Check with your neighbours

    You can ask your neighbours to check their water. If they’re also experiencing discolouration, it’s likely that a burst pipe or other works is happening nearby. To see if there's an issue in your area, please visit the link below. 

    Check now

  • If this doesn't work, turn the tap off, wait 20 minutes and try again. 

    One reason you may see disturbance is due to proactive pipe cleaning, to remove this iron sediment. You can find out more about pipe cleaning and see if we're carrying out this work in your area by visiting the link below.

    Works near me

    To see if there are any issues happening in your area that may be affecting your water supply, please visit the link below. 

    Check now

Watch our video to hear from our water quality experts on what to do if you're experiencing discoloured water.

Check for issues in your area

Check if there are any active incidents happening in your area that may be impacting your water supply.

Cloudy or white water

Your water supply can sometimes appear ‘cloudy’. This is caused by tiny compressed air bubbles which usually disappear after leaving a glass of water to stand for a few minutes.

Other coloured tap water

If your water is blue, pink, green or any other unusual bright colour, please do not drink or use your water for cooking.

Small particles in your water

Occasionally, you may see “tiny particles” or “bits” in your tap water. In most cases this is not harmful and is usually short lived.