Problems with your water
Every day, our teams work to ensure your water is not only clean, but looks and tastes great. Sometimes, things can go wrong. Likely reasons are covered here.
Issues that may affect your water quality
Landlords and any businesses reopening in the coming weeks
As a result of closure or part closure of many buildings during the coronavirus lockdown, drinking water systems may have been subject to stagnation due to low turnover of mains water or water in storage. This can adversely affect the quality of the drinking water. We’re asking landlords, managers and anyone returning to reopen a business which has been closed to run a good amount of water through each of the taps and appliances before anyone uses them to ensure the water is fresh and ready to drink. Water UK has detailed instructions on their website should you want to read about this in depth.
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When we carry out essential maintenance, or repairs to pipes in your area, this can cause sediment within those pipes to become disturbed, leading to issues with the quality of your water.
In instances where this could happen, we always take great care to minimise the impact on the quality of the water we supply to you, but occasionally this may cause temporary problems, such as cloudy water, or water that doesn't look or taste quite as it should.
Some of the more likely issues you may experience - and what to do about them - are detailed below.
- Hard water
- Discoloured water
- Low pressure
- High pressure
- Funny taste or odour
- Water additives
Hard water is caused by natural minerals in your water supply.
As a natural resource, not all water is the same. Whether you have hard or soft water will depend on the geographic factors within the area in which you live.
Hard water is actually caused by the minerals the water picks up along the journey from the source, to your tap. Most of the water in the region served by Bristol Water is classified as Hard, or Very Hard, due to the presence of limestone in the ground.
There are no health problems with hard water, but it can cause a few problems with your appliances and white goods, in some instances increasing wear. The good news is that by taking a few simple steps, the impact of hard water can be reduced.
Learn more by visiting our Hard Water page.
Why is my water discoloured?
If you notice your water looks dirty or discoloured, the cause is usually due to maintenance, or repair work being undertaken on in the pipes that supply your house.
When there is a leak, or if a pipe has burst, the water flowing through the water mains can often increase significantly, this increase in flow can cause sediment that would normally be dormant, being picked up and flowing through to your taps making the water look dirty.
Discoloured water is usually temporary, and in most instances can be resolved by simply running the cold tap nearest your internal stop tap (which is usually in the kitchen) for about 20 minutes. You needn't turn the tap on full, a thin, slow flow should be more than sufficient.
If the water hasn't cleared after 20 minutes, turn the tap off for a further 20 minutes and then repeat the process.
If you still have dirty water after trying this process a couple of times, let us know and we'll look into it for you.
Help with low water pressure
The amount of water pressure your home receives is dependent on a wide range of factors. Some of these will be down to the way we supply your water and the distance it needs to travel, but others will be due to the way you use your water.
As low pressure can be frustrating, we've created a dedicated page that details the reasons for variations in water pressure, including some simple tips on how you can improve the pressure in your home.
More about low pressure
Help with high water pressure
The amount of water pressure your home receives is dependent on a wide range of factors. Some of these will be down to the way we supply your water and the distance it needs to travel, but others will be due to the way you use your water.
Unlike low pressure, high pressure is rare, and usually a temporary occurrence.
If you are experiencing high pressure, try running the tap for a few minutes to see if the problem clears. If it does not, then it's possible your stop tap is open too much and needs to be closed ever so slightly.
Why does my water have a bad taste or smell?
The water we supply comes from a variety of sources including rivers, boreholes, wells and springs. Each source has its own characteristic taste depending on the type and concentration of its natural mineral composition. Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may need to provide you with a water supply from a different source. At these times you may notice a slight change to the taste of your water. Some people are more sensitive to changes in taste or smell than others.
Sometimes however, different types of taste and odour can develop in your tap water, which are not associated with natural minerals or changes to the source. Some of the most common reasons are covered on our 'smells and odours' page
More about bad tastes or smells
What's in my tap water?
Your water contains a number of different additives, some are naturally occurring, and others, like chlorine, we add to make the water safe to drink.
In all cases, the water we provide to your tap is tested rigorously to ensure it is safe to drink. If you would like to find out more about the substances in your water you can do so below.
Work in your area that may impact on water quality
When we make repairs, we take care to minimise the impact on the quality of the water supply, however, sometimes the work may have a temporary impact on the quality of your water.
Check the water quality in your area
We've made it easy for you to check the water hardness and water quality in your area.
Water composition
Additional details
We're often asked...
If you have an unmetered bill and a monthly payment arrangement in place, your annual bill is split over 10 monthly installments: May to February. We do not take payments in March and April because during these months we generate bills for the forthcoming financial year.
If you have a metered bill and pay by a monthly budget arrangement we can take a payment each month of the year. We will automatically review your payments annually.
To set up a Direct Debit please click here
Charging for water services is a complex matter, involving both the law (primarily the 1991 Water Industry Act) and our economic regulator, the Water Services Regulation Authority, which is referred to as Ofwat.
Your supply is either unmetered or metered, and this normally determines the way we charge for your water supply.
Unmetered – we normally use the rateable value (RV) of your property and calculate the cost for the year in advance
Metered – we normally read the meter twice a year and you pay for the water you actually use
Click here for more detail
If you feel you are struggling to pay your bills, or you feel like you need extra help then please visit our Priority Services page where you can sign up or find out more.
There is no cost to close your account. Depending on the status of your account and any payment arrangement you may have, there could be a final balance to pay. If you're moving and need to tell us about your change of address, please complete this online form. Alternatively contact us on 0345 600 3600
Your bill is due and payable on issue. To pay this online please click here
If you have subscribed to online billing, you will receive an email advising you when you have a new bill. If you are facing problems paying or wish to discuss a payment arrangement to spread the cost, please contact us.
We supply water to 500,000 homes and businesses across Bristol City, North Somerset and areas of Bath, North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire. That's about 1.2m people who have access to our water every day. Wessex Water is responsible for providing sewerage services for the majority of our customers when they've finished using the water.
We also offer a range of alternative payment options for those struggling to pay, to find out more click here
Your property's rateable value is shown on the front page of your unmetered bill. If you have not yet moved into a property and would like to find out the rateable value, please contact us on 0345 600 3600
Didn't get the answer to your query?
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Still having a problem with your water...
Report a problem
If you're having a problem with the quality of your water, contact us so we can help to identify cause.
Find an approved plumber
We can help you find an approved plumber, who will help you diagnose the cause of your problem.