Smelly tap water. (Bristol)

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I wonder if anyone else find their water a bit smelly with bad taste? Ours clearly smells of "chlorine" and possibly something else and has a rather strong taste and the problem has been particularly bad over last couple of weeks. The smell of running (spraying) water makes me feel sick. I am pretty much on bottled water now.
 
No, the water in Bristol tastes much as it always does. Of course, the taste of water in the office might be improved by the lead pipes on the supply line into the building.
 
I just had a little play with frying pan and 200ml of water. After evaporating it all there were salt crystals left, and tasted a bit salty too (i.e. not limescale). That points pretty clearly to stupid amount of bleach. I could guess there was about 5-10mg in the pan (I don't have a precision balance at home and didn't scrape it, but you get this feeling after some time). It is nice to know we won't get any bacteria in the water, but I start feeling like one myself!
 
ofwat.gov.uk evidently oversee a guaranteed standards scheme that water authorities have to abide by, so do complain.
Having said that, a cursory look at it gives the impression it's more to do with keeping appointments, maintaining a decent pressure and avoiding sewer flooding. I guess it can look and taste like **** and still be ok... Sound about right?
 
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We have a really bad problem with chlorine in the water, so much so, that we have to buy bottled water to make tea/drinking. They have tested our and said that there is nothing wrong with it - lying ****.
I sometimes wonder if the regulating bodies do any good at all.
 
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A rep from the water company arrived here to do a random check on water quality a few weeks ago. Whilst he was conducting the tests I mentioned the frequent chlorine smell. The tester acknowledged that complaints of chlorine smells are common, it is added to the water when they detect impurities at the source. I dread to think what the impurities might be - a dead sheep in a stream feeding the reservoir, pollution from recycled water? The inspector could not or would not go into detail of what the pollution may be.

Whilst chlorine smelling water is horrid, I suppose it's better than potentially dangerous bacteria.

Chris
 
I have that issue now and then here. I just run the water off until it stops stinking and complain to Severn Trent.

Gather some for independent testing.
 
srichards said:
I have that issue now and then here. I just run the water off until it stops stinking and complain to Severn Trent.
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Severn Trent is my supplier too, I'm in Stone. The tester was not at all surprised when I raised the subject of the chlorine smell. It seems to come down to either a chlorine smell or pollution risk.

Chris
 
The chlorine levels go up and down. You should consider yourself lucky you even have chlorine in your water.
 
Remember a visit to the Eden Project a while back and they had a model demonstrating how the water we drink has already passed through about 14 other people since its cycle began ... no idea if it's exact (though it was stated as fact and there is only so much water available) but maybe chlorine is a good thing!
 
Have you had pipes replaced recently? Water used to be amazing from my tap, but the pipes were all replaced recently (making the roads a mess) and for about a month after it tasted like I had a mouthful of bleach, it's still not anywhere near as good as it used to be.
 
Foxbat Flyer said:
I dread to think what the impurities might be - a dead sheep in a stream feeding the reservoir, pollution from recycled water? The inspector could not or would not go into detail of what the pollution may be.
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I suspect that you may be better off not knowing.
Or at least not thinking about it while you're drinking :eek:
 
I haven't noticed any change to the water in Bristol recently and water from the tap is almost all that I drink. I'm certainly not going to start paying the price of bottled water!
 
trencheel303 said:
Have you had pipes replaced recently? Water used to be amazing from my tap, but the pipes were all replaced recently (making the roads a mess) and for about a month after it tasted like I had a mouthful of bleach, it's still not anywhere near as good as it used to be.
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There was a lot work here recently and they are still busy in parts of city
 
neil_g said:
When was the last time any of you had checked the tank in your loft (especially if it's not covered)? :D
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Doesn't the main cold water tap come directly off the mains rather than being fed from the dead spider infested tank in the loft?
 
I took a call from a customer with niffy water. I got to their home and turned on the hot tap and yep it hummed,but there were also tiny flecks of something or other in it too. I went into the loft and in the domestic tank was a small, drowned and by now very well rotted mouse.
 
neil_g said:
When was the last time any of you had checked the tank in your loft (especially if it's not covered)? :D
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Any potable sources in a house should come direct from the main, not from a header tank. This includes taps in bathrooms, as people don't usually brush their teeth using water from the kitchen sink.
 
Foxbat Flyer said:
Doesn't the main cold water tap come directly off the mains rather than being fed from the dead spider infested tank in the loft?
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onomatopoeia said:
Any potable sources in a house should come direct from the main, not from a header tank. This includes taps in bathrooms, as people don't usually brush their teeth using water from the kitchen sink.
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this is why im not a plumber :lol:
 
mex said:
I took a call from a customer with niffy water. I got to their home and turned on the hot tap and yep it hummed,but there were also tiny flecks of something or other in it too. I went into the loft and in the domestic tank was a small, drowned and by now very well rotted mouse.
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:gag: :gag: :gag: :gag: :gag:

Mind you, the water around here is so hard that I get threatened with menaces every time I turn a tap on.
 
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onomatopoeia said:
Any potable sources in a house should come direct from the main, not from a header tank. This includes taps in bathrooms, as people don't usually brush their teeth using water from the kitchen sink.
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It should, but I reckon most houses have the cold water feed in the bathroom coming off the loft tank. Every house I've lived in certainly had.
 
boogie man said:
It should, but I reckon most houses have the cold water feed in the bathroom coming off the loft tank. Every house I've lived in certainly had.
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We had our tank in the loft removed about fifteen years ago, and speaking to neighbours, they have had theirs removed as well. I have heard all the horror stories about drinking water from the hot tap, because of the possibility that the uncovered header tank may contain various forms of wildlife - spiders, mice, birds, rats, but I have to say that even pre tank removal, our cold water came direct from the mains. Now, with the combi boiler and a bit of extra plumbing, all the water comes via the mains.
 
I suppose it makes sense having everything mains fed, the loft tanks do get very dusty. The only downside is if the water supply gets interrupted for any reason. I have to say I've not met anyone who makes a habit of drinking from the hot water tap though! :)
 
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