Why your water may look, taste or smell different
Sometimes your water can suddenly look brown, appear cloudy, or have a different taste or smell.
This is usually temporary and happens when the water flow changes in our network, such as during maintenance or repairs. It often clears on its own.
Water taste and smell issues (and what you can do)
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Brown, dirty or discoloured water
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 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.
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Cloudy, white or milky water
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 clear 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 is not clear after settling
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Chlorine taste or smell
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 chlorine taste or smell should be gone by morning.
- Add a squeeze of lemon to neutralise chlorine.
- Contact us if the smell is very strong or appears suddenly.
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Earthy or musty taste or smell
Naturally occurring organisms in dams can sometimes cause an 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 from your property’s internal plumbing. In many cases, flushing your pipes will 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
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Metallic taste or blue-green stains
These issues usually happen when water picks up tiny amounts of copper from household pipes. This is more common in older homes or when taps have not been used for a while.
What you can do:
- Flush the affected tap for about two minutes to clear the water sitting in the pipes.
- Ask a licensed plumber to inspect your pipes if the problem continues.
- Use a lemon-based cleaner with citric acid to remove blue-green stains.
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Smells like petrol, kerosene or paint
Strong chemical smells can happen when products such as petrol, solvents, kerosene or paint leak or spill near household pipes. These substances can seep into the soil and affect the water in underground pipes.
What you can do:
- Check if any chemicals have been stored, sprayed or spilt near your pipes.
- If you find signs of a spill, take care to clean or remove the affected soil safely, or seek professional advice
- Contact a licensed plumber if the smell continues, as pipework may need to be checked or repaired
Feeling or being unwell
If you feel unwell after drinking our water, please contact us straight away.
We will look into it as quickly as we can and keep you updated.
Contact us
- Call us on 1300 657 657 (Monday to Friday, 8am – 5pm)
- Use Live Chat during business hours
- Send us an email
Troubleshooting
If you believe there is a problem with our water supply, or you can’t work out the source of the issue, please check out the information below to see if you can resolve it.