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Drinking water quality

Non return valve order form

Lead pipes

What we do about leaks

Renovating and cleaning water mains

Water regulations

Your waste water

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Help & advice

Common questions about 'water quality'

Drinking water quality

Our top priority is to make sure our customers receive excellent quality drinking water.

South West Water's tap water is amongst the best quality in the country.

Proactive management of water quality combined with some of the tightest drinking water regulations in the world means we are all able to enjoy a safe supply straight from the tap.

Water is essential to maintaining good health and a glass of tap water is the most economical, environmentally friendly and convenient way to keep hydrated.

South West Water wants everyone to enjoy the water we supply. We produce eight information sheets, listed on the right, to address the questions most frequently asked by customers and to highlight the most common problems people occasionally encounter.

To ensure your domestic plumbing system does not affect the quality of your drinking water supply, it must comply with the Water Regulations

	Top ten tips for keeping your water safe
1.	Always run your tap for a few seconds before using for drinking or cooking. If you've been away for a few days run the cold tap for a couple of minutes to flush away potentially stagnant water. If the water supply hasn't been used for more than four weeks, drain down and flush the system. Use the water run-off on the garden
2.	Storing water in the fridge will provide a chilled product and improve the taste. Keep the jug covered and discard any unused water after 24 hours
3.	If you notice an antiseptic, metallic, bitter or TCP-type taste in your supply, isolate domestic appliances when not in use or install a non-return valve - further information can be found in 'Tastes and Odours'
4.	Always use fresh water in your kettle. Re-boiling water will affect the taste and lead to a build up of minerals or scale in the kettle
5.	Regularly clean taps using a mild household disinfectant, and don't forget to clean the spout. After cleaning the tap, run it for a few seconds to remove any remaining disinfectant
6.	Always use approved products. Look for the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS) logo. The water industry also approves competent plumbers - ask your plumber if they are approved under the national Water Industry Approved Plumber Scheme (WIAPS) scheme
7.	Don't leave your dishcloth to dry on a tap as this will encourage the growth of bacteria
8.	Hose pipes should be fitted with a self-closing flow control (such as a trigger spray gun) and be hand-held when in use. Never place the hosepipe outlet into drains, garden ponds, buckets or watering cans containing chemicals such as fertilisers or pesticides because of the risk of back siphonage into the drinking water system
9.	Be careful when using chemicals and fuels in areas where water pipes may be buried. Spilt heating oil, thinners, petrol, diesel and creosote all contain chemicals that can permeate through the soil into plastic pipework and affect drinking water supplies
10.	Boilers should be set below 60°C. This will minimise scaling and is normally hot enough for domestic purposes