Why does my water taste or smell unpleasant?

Chlorine

The most common cause of an unusual taste or smell is chlorine, a disinfectant, which is added during the treatment process. Chlorine prevents harmful bacteria growing in the water. To alleviate this problem, place a jug of water in the fridge - cold water always tastes better. Boiling your water for 5 minutes will also get rid of the chlorine taste. Discard after 24hours.

Seasonal Changes

In warm summer months water may have a musty or earthy smell or taste. The water treatment process, however, removes most of these smells and tastes.

Plumbing system

Iron and copper can be leached from your plumbing system into the water, resulting in a bitter after taste. Flushing the system before drinking may solve this.

An information leaflet on chlorine (.PDF 89Kb) is available on the Drinking Water Inspectorate (England & Wales) website.