What to expect when your water returns

If your water is back on, you may notice that it’s slow to come out of the tap or you have low pressure. This is normal as the network fills up. You may also notice the water isn’t completely clear to begin with.

Below are some of the things you can expect as the water comes back on:

• Discoloured water from your taps is normal after a supply interruption. This is usually temporary and disappears once the network settles. 
• If the water is cloudy and white, try leaving it in a glass for a few minutes to see if it clears, this will be air trapped in the water as the pipes refilled. 
• Chlorine smell or taste. This is perfectly normal and comes from the small amounts of chlorine that remain in your supply known as 'chlorine residual'.
•  If the water has a brown or black colour, run your tap for a few minutes and it should clear. If this doesn't work, turn the tap off, wait 20 minutes, and try again. It’s fine to use your water as normal when your water runs clear.  

Sometimes after our water network has been emptied, air locks can occur either in our pipes or customers’ – running taps for a short while can help bring water through.