My water looks unusual
If your water appears to be a different colour, looks like it might have bits in it, or seems cloudy, here’s what might be causing the change and how to fix it.
Cloudy water
What to do if your water looks white, foggy or milky.
This is likely due to air trapped in the pipes due to nearby repairs on the network. As the air dissolves into the water, tiny air bubbles form and can make the water appear cloudy. These bubbles should clear naturally within 24 hours.
To check if it's just air bubbles, fill a glass with the cloudy water and let it sit. If the cloudiness starts to disappear from the bottom and move upwards, it's just air bubbles.
To help clear the air bubbles, do an internal stop-tap test:
Run your cold tap closest to your internal stop tap at full flow.
Slowly turn the stop tap on and off 4-6 times.
It could be an issue with your plumbing system if it hasn’t cleared after a few days. Check for faulty pipes in your house, hot and cold water pipes being too close together, leaky tap washers, or a partially closed stop tap. Heating water can also cause cloudiness.
Steps you can take to prevent this from happening:
Insulate your pipes (lagging).
Ensure your external stop tap and any internal stop taps are fully open.
Check the isolation valve under your kitchen sink is fully open.
Yellow, brown, orange or with bits
White or blue bits in your water can often be limescale which can be stained blue by new copper pipes or by old copper pipes breaking down.
Discolouration is likely caused by disturbances to the natural minerals and sediment that built up in the pipes over time as water passes through the mains, service pipes or the plumbing within your property.
Disturbances to your water can happen for a few reasons such as:
A burst mains in your area
A sudden change to flow and pressure, which can pick up sediments in the water
The fire service using a hydrant on the street
If we’re repairing pipework in your area
The corrosion of pipes
Plumbing issues in your home
To clear the discoloured water, run the cold water tap nearest to your internal stop tap.
Run the water on a thin flow, about the width of a pencil, for about 20 minutes.
If this doesn't work, turn the tap off, wait 20 minutes and try again.
You could also check with your neighbours. If they’re having the same problem, it’s likely caused by a burst pipe or planned repairs to the network. If that’s the case, we’ll do our best to let you know, as that may affect your water quality.
You can also check for updates on ongoing issues :
Blue or green water
Your water may look slightly green or blue if there are higher than normal levels of copper in it.
If you live in a new-build home, or you’ve recently had new copper pipework put in, you might notice green or blue discolouration or bits in your water.
The green or blue discolouration in your water could indicate higher than normal levels of copper.
A protective layer should form on the inside of the copper pipe that will stop this from happening within a few days of it being installed.
If you've not had your pipes replaced, then any green bits or colouration could be due to old copper pipes breaking down.
If you encounter this problem you should get in touch with your builder or contact an accredited plumber to investigate and fix the cause.
It may be that people who installed the pipework used too much or the wrong kind of flux . Flux is an acidic paste that dissolves in water and is used to solder two copper pipes together. It helps the solder to seal the gaps between the pipes, creating a strong joint.
If too much flux has been used, it can appear in the water. In this case, the new pipework may needs to be flushed thoroughly and the plumbing drained. .
Find your stop tap
Your stop tap will be where the water first enters the property, usually under your kitchen sink or downstairs bathroom.
Get in touch
If you are still facing issues with your water, get in touch with us and we will sort it out for you.