Carron Valley Water Treatment Works
Customers supplied by Carron Valley Water Treatment Works areas may have noticed a change to the taste or smell of their water. This is due to the presence of a compound called Geosmin which we have detected in our supplies, which often occurs during periods of warm weather. Although the taste or smell can be unpleasant, geosmin is not harmful to health and the water remains safe to drink and use as normal. Some people are more sensitive to these changes than others, and the taste or smell may be more noticeable when water is heated, for example in hot drinks or showers. We are continuing to monitor the supply closely and take operational steps to reduce any impact on customers where possible. Please see our Factsheet on Geosmin for further information: 090724geosmin4afactsheetv4.pdf
Geosmin and 2-MIB is a harmless naturally occurring organic compound associated with the breakdown of algae and other micro-organisms in the raw water sources, that can often appear after a period of dry, hot weather, followed by rainfall.
It has a distinct earthy, musty taste and odour it contributes to the strong scent that occurs in the air when rain falls after a dry spell of weather or when soil is disturbed. Chilling the water, adding ice cubes, a slice of lemon, or a few drops of lemon juice may help reduce the odour and taste produced by Geosmin.
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Interruption to supply
When we are doing maintenance or repairs to the water network, you may experience cloudy or discoloured water. This video explains what to do if you are affected.
Burst Water Main FAQs
Discoloured Water FAQs
If the water from your cold kitchen tap (or any other mains fed tap) suddenly becomes discoloured, this could be because some maintenance or repair work is being carried out on our network in your area. If we have not informed you of any work being carried out, please contact us for more details. If we are not working in your area, we will investigate the cause of discolouration for you and let you know. For more information please see our factsheet: Colour, taste and odour explained.
In most cases discoloured water is not harmful and can be cleared by running the first incoming cold water tap (usually in the kitchen) at a trickle until it clears. Very occasionally customers have noticed "tiny particles" or "bits" in their tap water. This can be caused by planned or unplanned work to the water supply network which causes natural sediment in the pipes to shift (quite often this is a dark red, brown colour).
Small dark grey or black particles can occasionally be caused if your pipework is made from lead. This is most likely if your house was built before 1970. For more information see our Lead and Your Water pages.
