Shetland's Drinking Water

[tlady]

Has anyone else noticed the very strong smell of chlorine thats been coming out of town taps since the weekend?

 

It stinks! it reminds me of the old Hillhead swimming pool!

[Fjool]

This from Wikipedia:

 

"Chlorine smell" is misunderstood, as chlorine is a colorless(slightly yellowish), odorless gas. What can occur is that insufficient chlorine is called upon to disinfect a heavily contaminated pool. In the incomplete reaction that follows, a by-product called "chloromine" is produced, and chloromines are responsible for the smell.

 

Sounds like you've got particularly dirty water, not over chlorinated water.

[tlady]

^^

Scary stuff that means they need more chlorine

 

I honestly expected to have the "bloodshot eye syndrome" after showering, we all got that with the old swimming pool!

 

Surely in this day and age with filtration systems we should have better quality water.

[JustMe]

Not noticed a smell but for several weeks the water has tasted odd.

[thekid]

It wis me, i pished in da loch last weekend ha ha..

[Fjool]

I'm sure that wee-wee gets into the water supply on a regular basis being, as it is, part of the natural cycle of such things. Fish, for example, regularly go toilet in the water. What do you have to say in your defence, Trout?

 

On a more serious note we have this, from South Eastern Water, which provides some more info and mentions a 'chlorine smell' as nothing to worry about. Along with tips a suggestions for what to do if your water appears contaminated.

 

http://www.southeastwater.com.au/sewl/index.asp?link_id=30.1534

 

I've noticed that our water at home is often opaque with millions of tiny bubbles. It tastes no different. This, I'm hoping, is only dissolved nitrogen or such. Leaving the water to stand for a bit results in perfectly normal water.

[Ghostrider]

I've noticed that our water at home is often opaque with millions of tiny bubbles. It tastes no different. This, I'm hoping, is only dissolved nitrogen or such. Leaving the water to stand for a bit results in perfectly normal water.

 

It's also down to something the water supply people do to it in the system occasionally. The water here is the same way periodically, and it always starts in the early evening of a Monday night, if you're near water pipes at the time which feed directly from the outside connection, you can hear the water draining away in them, you will have no cold water for a few minutes of so, then it will come back. After that has occured whenever the cold tap hasn't been used for a time the water is aereated to one degree or another, it can take as much as three weeks for it to finally clear that aereation out of the system.

 

I used to blame the local firecrew doing hose practice, as Monday evenings is their training night, and they're just along the road. You can hear the water backing off in the pipes when they get the hose going properly, but that only puts a little aeration in it at most which usually clears from the system the same night, whatever gets done to it elsewise I don't know, but "milky" water out of your tap for three weeks every time you fill a kettle gets pretty off-putting.

[PoolHaddock]

*Edit* - Oh, du beat me tae it Ghostrider! ^

 

I've noticed that our water at home is often opaque with millions of tiny bubbles. It tastes no different. This, I'm hoping, is only dissolved nitrogen or such. Leaving the water to stand for a bit results in perfectly normal water.

We quite often get the "opaque" water effect at home. I always assumed it was just air trapped and pressurised in the pipes that was aireating the water and turning it opaque. Since the gasses in water are less soluble at higher temperatures, it makes sense if the water turns clearer as it heats up to room temperature, releasing the gasses in the water and with them, the tiny bubbles of air. Well, I think that would make sense... ?

 

This could be complete nonsense though as it's purely an assumption based on nothing but my dying memories of Chemistry at school. Any Chemists or water-guys among you know why the water has bubbles in it and if it's safe for my goldfish to live in?

[PressedCurdsOfMilk]

I've noticed that our water at home is often opaque with millions of tiny bubbles. It tastes no different. This, I'm hoping, is only dissolved nitrogen or such. Leaving the water to stand for a bit results in perfectly normal water.

 

I think it's more likely to be simply dissolved air Fjool. I used to work in the water industry in London and that was a common complaint (I live in Shetland and don't work in the water industry anymore). It's something that occurs occasionally and is probably related to pressure problem or leaks or other such thing.

 

The water company puts chlorine in the water at the water treatment plant to kill bacteria (disinfect the water before it gets pumped into the distribution system). They usually dose chlorine at a level such that it kills bacteria (according to a standard/ disinfection policy), leaving a residual level of the chemical in the water such that it carries on killing bacteria in the distribution system and such that by the time it gets to your kitchen tap it doesn't taste too bad.

 

I could suggest a couple of reasons why chlorine might taste bad when you drink the water:

1. the water is particularly clean and the usual dose of chlorine was not all used up in killing bacteria and attacking other organic compounds in the water and the water treatment plant didn't knock out the excess to a low enough residual amount if that is what they do after the disinfection process.

2. some people live closer to the water treatment plant than others therefore they are more likely to taste chlorine in the water.

 

It is unlikely that any chlorine taste in the water is a result of unhealthy concentrations, but it is annoying. I would definitely complain anytime you have a taste, odour or discolouration problem with the water... you pay for it, so you shouldn't accept anything less that excellent quality (I'm sre they are legally obliged to respond and investigate any complaint).

[Fjool]

I think it's more likely to be simply dissolved air Fjool.

Yes, I expect you are correct. I originally wrote 'air' but revised it to 'nitrogen' when I remembered that air is mostly nitrogen. Figured I would be technically correct in either situation

[Scoobysue]

I'd also noticed that the tap water has been a bit whiffy and it tastes horrid, too.

 

The smell is like dilute bleach and the taste initially had me worried I'd used bleach & not rinsed the surfaces properly so it had transferred to the lip of the cup/glass. Strangely, the glass of water I leave on my bedside t table overnight doesn't smell or taste funny by morning - or I'm too dopey first thing in the morning to notice it!

 

I vaguely remember a storyline in Casualty where a daft woman 'sterilised' all fresh produce with a bleach solution prior to cooking. She, or her husband, or someone in the house then got very sick from bleach poisoning & nearly died. Therefore, I find it hard to believe this chemically tainted water is in any way safe for consumption.

 

Aha, a cunning plan - I'll water my plants just now so, if they die overnight, I'll know not to keep on drinking the tap water.

[clanchief]

Scottish Water within the last two weeks announced that they were changing the water purification system at the Sandy loch to Chloramination.

 

In their advert they said that this new system would improve the water quality, however it could apparently kill the fish in your aquarium !

 

There have been many cases in the Mainland of Scotland of communities complaining about the taste of water once the supplier changed to a Chloramination system.

 

Personally, I never drink tap water only bottled water or filtered water.

[Fjool]

Bottled water has advantages as a low-sodium, low-nitrate, or better- tasting water. It is recommended as a short-term alternate supply. For extended use, there are less expensive and more convenient alternatives than bottled water.

 

The types of bottled water--mineral-free, drinking, natural, mineral, and fluoridated--range from highly treated to little treatment. Bottled water, when tested for contaminants and taste, was rated as good as but no better than many city water supplies.

 

From : http://msucares.com/pubs/infosheets/is1418.htm

[BigMouth]

Run the tap a little before you fill the kettle or a glass. That sorts out the smell.

 

Chlorine smell tends to be stronger the nearer you live to the treatment plant.

 

Let the glass stand and the milky appearance will go away, its just air.

 

The above facts were gleaned from Scottish Water leaflets that I read prior to my interview for the job that I didn't get

[Scoobysue]

Scottish Water within the last two weeks announced that they were changing the water purification system at the Sandy loch to Chloramination.

 

In their advert they said that this new system would improve the water quality, however it could apparently kill the fish in your aquarium !

 

There have been many cases in the Mainland of Scotland of communities complaining about the taste of water once the supplier changed to a Chloramination system.

 

Personally, I never drink tap water only bottled water or filtered water.

 

'Chloramination'? Is that really what they call it? When I first read the word, I thought you were being sarcastic by combining 'chlorine' with 'contamination' but, if it's the genuine water industry terminology, then it all seems rather sinister. Talking of sinister isn't 'water industry' a creepy oxymoron?