Why your water may look, tastes or smell different

A sudden colour change often happens when natural sediment is stirred up in the pipes. This can happen during planned maintenance or emergency repairs.

What you can do:

• Check the outages map for any works or emergencies near you
• Turn on the outside tap closest to your water meter and let it run for up to 10 minutes
• Repeat at a tap in your back yard
• Call us on 1300 657 000 if the water does not clear after flushing

If your water looks dirty, avoid using your dishwasher or washing machine as it can stain clothes. If this happens, you can submit a discoloured laundry claim form.

Tiny air bubbles trapped in the water can make it look milky. The water is still safe to drink and usually clears within minutes. This can happen during planned maintenance or emergency repairs.

What you can do:

• Check the outages map for any works or emergencies near you
• Fill a jug with water and let it sit for ten minutes. It should clear as the bubbles rise to the surface
• Contact us if the water does not clear after settling

A small amount of chlorine is added to the drinking water supply to keep it safe and disinfected. Sometimes you may notice its taste or smell more than usual.

What you can do:

• Fill a jug and leave it in the fridge overnight. The taste or smell should go away overnight.
• Add a squeeze of lemon to neutralise chlorine.
• Contact us if the chlorine smell is very strong or appears suddenly.

Naturally occurring organisms in dams can sometimes cause a noticeable earthy or musty smell. You can visit our Geosmin and MIB page for more information.

These tastes and smells can also come from a build-up of sediment or organic matter in the water network, or within your property’s internal plumbing. In these cases, flushing your pipes may help.

What you can do:

• Run your tap for a few minutes to flush out stagnant water
• Contact us if the taste or smell continues after flushing

This is usually caused by corrosion inside household copper pipes, especially in older homes or when pipes have been unused for a while.

What you can do:

• Flush the affected tap for about two minutes to clear the water in the pipes.
• Ask a licensed plumber to inspect your pipes if it continues.
• Use a lemon-based cleaner containing citric acid to remove any stains.

Household products such as petrol, solvents, kerosene or paint can leak into soil and can be absorbed into underground pipes.

• Check if any chemicals have been stored, sprayed or spilt near your pipes.
• If these substances have entered the soil, you may need to remove and safely dispose of the affected soil near the pipes.
• A licensed plumber may be needed to remove or repair affected pipework if the smell continues.