Keeping your taps clean
Clean taps and clear pipes help protect drinking water quality. Learn how you can keep your taps clean at home and why we flush pipes to keep your water up to standards.
Keeping your taps clean
Your kitchen tap is the last stop before water reaches your glass, so it’s important to keep it clean. Everyday bacteria are normal, but harmful germs can grow on and inside taps – especially after washing raw meat, vegetables or even your hands. Keeping taps clean helps protect the water you drink, cook and wash with and stops mould and limescale from building up. Here’s how to keep your taps clean:
Wipe taps often
You can disinfect them using a mild bleach solution. Always rinse your taps after wiping.
Clean the spout
Fill a bottle cap with mild bleach, hold it under the tap spout for about two minutes, then rinse by running water for a few moments.
Deep clean when needed
For a thorough clean, take the tap apart and wash the parts individually. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions so you don’t damage it.
Avoid contamination
Don’t leave flannels or dishcloths on taps to dry and keep food or pets away from taps.
Your questions answered...
Over time, tiny bits of sediment can settle in our pipes, so we often need to flush them. This involves moving water through the network at speed to clear any sediment out, so we can keep supplying high-quality drinking water. Before flushing, we calculate the exact amount of water needed for each section of pipework so we can clean effectively without wasting water.
You might notice cloudy or discoloured water for a short time after flushing. This is normal and should clear quickly. Wait until your water runs clear before using appliances. This helps avoid staining or residue. If it hasn’t cleared after 24 hours, please get in touch.
You may also see a brief drop in water pressure, but it won’t last. If we ever need to turn your water off, we’ll give you at least 48 hours’ notice. Throughout the flushing process, we monitor water quality to make sure your drinking water stays safe.
Our network is split into 74 water supply zones, and each one is sampled daily. This means over 230,000 water quality tests are carried out every year to make sure your drinking water meets the highest standards, as required by the Drinking Water Inspectorate and The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016.
To check water quality, we sometimes send a technician to your home to take a sample from your taps. Because properties are chosen at random, we can’t book appointments in advance. Most tests show everything is fine (more than 99.7% meet standards), but if we find an issue, we’ll return for more samples to confirm and investigate the cause.
- Addresses are selected at random from our customer database.
- A Water Quality Technician visits and collects samples for lab testing.
- Some checks are carried out inside your property to check your water quality.
- After our visit, you’ll receive a information card with details on how to request your results.
These tests help us make sure your water stays safe and high quality.
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