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Discoloured water

Discolouration can range from a light, straw-yellow colour to a dark brown. Here you can find everything you need to know, from why this happening to steps that you can take to clear the discolouration to your water.

Why could this be happening?

  • Disturbance of settled deposits in the water pipes made up of naturally occurring metals and minerals in water
  • Corrosion of pipes
  • Plumbing issues in your home, if your neighbours aren’t impacted this suggests you have an issue with your internal plumbing, click here to find a Watersafe approved plumber. 
  • If your neighbours’ water is also discoloured, it’s likely that it’s been caused by a burst pipe or planned repairs to the network in your area.

You can check to see if we're aware of an incident or repair in your area.

What can you do?

Whilst your tap water is discoloured, we advise you not to run the hot water tap, use dishwashers, washing machines or any other appliances which uses your hot water supply.
You can try clearing the discolouration from your water by following the steps below:

  • Allow the first incoming cold water tap (usually in the kitchen) to run at a trickle until it clears – why not collect this water and use it to water your plants? 
  • Some discolouration can clear quickly (within minutes), but this can take longer depending on the cause. 
  • If the discolouration does not clear, please check with your neighbours to determine if their water is also discoloured - this will help to determine if this is a private issue or a problem on our network.