Colour, odour and taste

Chlorine is well established within the water industry and is a vital factor to ensuring the safety of the water we supply you.

If you are sensitive to the taste of chlorine, we recommend leaving a jug of water standing (open) on either a bench or in the fridge as the chlorine in the water will ‘gas-off’ if left overnight.  Sometimes adding lemon can help to neutralise the chlorine in the water.

If you continue to have concerns, please use the Report a Fault form or call TasWater on 13 6992.

You can check our Water Quality portal, which shows the status of the water we supply and whether it is safe to consume. If we have reason to believe otherwise, we will notify the public immediately. Please visit Service Interruptions page to confirm no alerts have been issued.

Earthy, musty, mouldy, or swampy tastes are usually caused by compounds produced by micro-organisms that occur naturally in our rivers. At times, when environmental conditions are favourable, these organisms can grow and release larger quantities of the taste and odour – which then become noticeable in your water.

The compounds causing this taste and smell are not harmful to human health and have no health guideline limits in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.

If it does not clear in 7 days, please use the Report a Fault form or call TasWater on 13 6992.

You can check our Water Quality portal, which shows the status of the water we supply and whether it is safe to consume. If we have reason to believe otherwise, we will notify the public immediately. Please visit Service Interruptions page to confirm no alerts have been issued.

Please call us immediately on 13 6992.

The most common cause of metallic tasting water is corrosion in pipework. Many old pipes and fittings in homes and parts of our network were made from galvanised iron, cast iron or copper, which may have become degraded over time, influencing the taste and/or appearance of the water.

The issue may be particularly noticeable if the water has not been used for an extended period, such as after returning from holiday or if a house has been vacant for some time. Metallic tasting water is also more common in large buildings or properties with long lengths of pipework.

You may need to flush out existing water and draw in fresh water from the main. Begin flushing at the tap closest to the front of the property or nearest the water main and work back through the house to a tap in the back garden. Run your tap for ten minutes.

If you continue to have concerns, please use the Report a Fault form or call TasWater on 13 6992.

You can check our Water Quality portal, which shows the status of the water we supply and whether it is safe to consume. If we have reason to believe otherwise, we will notify the public immediately. Please visit Service Interruptions page to confirm no alerts have been issued.