Straw-coloured or yellow water

Straw-coloured or yellow water can be caused by the disturbance of naturally occurring sediment in the supply, or particles from corroding, unlined iron pipes.

This disturbance is caused by a sudden change in the direction or flow rate of water. This can occur due to a burst pipe, work being carried out on pipes nearby, or through an increase in demand such as when the fire service connect to our mains or someone illegally uses a hydrant.

This is normally nothing to worry about. We know it might look unpleasant, but in our experience it’s usually harmless.

Try running your tap for a few minutes. This should clear the pipes and your water should return to normal.

Make sure you run the tap very gently. The water coming out of the tap shouldn't be wider than a pencil. If the flow is more powerful it could actually make the problem worse by stirring up more sediment.

If you’re on a water meter, we can credit your bill with an amount to compensate you for the water you’ve used to flush the system.

If the discolouration hasn’t cleared, check with your neighbours to see if it’s cleared up with them. If it has, continue to run the tap a little longer as it may be taking a bit longer than normal to clear. If not, you should report the problem to us so we can investigate.