Is Your Water safe to drink?

Did you know that Australia has Drinking Water Guidelines? It has over 250 directions and specifications that water utility companies and local shire council must follow!

But if there is a funny taste, colour, or smell coming from your tap, here are four ways to make sure your water is safe to drink.

Our tap water is safely treated to ensure that any water contamination does not pose threats to public health. Generally, most Australians don't have to worry about getting sick from the water they drink.

While the colour of your water may change from time to time, most changes are normal and safe. We have listed some common water changes below.

• Your water has changed colour and does not clear after running the tap for a few minutes. You should check if there is planned maintenance on the pipes in your area.  Another cause may be that your hot water service needs repairing or replacing, especially if your unit is older than 7-10 years. Contact your local plumber to ensure your hot water unit is in good order.

• Your water has black specks in it. This can be caused by the rubbers from your tap washers or O-rings wearing out. Legally, you can change your own washers, but if you get stuck, you can call your plumber for assistance.

• Your water smells or tastes like chlorine. Small amounts of chlorine are added to your drinking water as part of the water treatment process. Usually, this is not noticeable enough to taste. If you can taste chlorine, you can put a jug of water on the bench and allow it to sit for an hour, or put it in the fridge overnight.

• Your water is cloudy. Cloudy water is just tiny air bubbles caused by water of different temperatures entering the water system. This is completely natural, particularly in the warmer months. The cloudiness should clear in a few seconds.

Your water is red or brown. More than likely this is rust entering the water stream from corrosion in your points. See Part B on how this can happen and what needs to be done to fix it.