Problems with your supply

At times the water you drink from the tap can taste different but that does not mean that it's unsafe. Water taste can be affected by temperature, the time the water has been in the pipes, river levels and flood water, and people’s plumbing systems.

From no water, to low water pressure, to changes in taste and odour, sometimes you might find problems with your water supply – here's some troubleshooting ideas to help.

No water

If you have a Council water supply, and there’s no water when you turn on the tap, contact us.

If you’re on a cross-lease property, it’s possible a neighbour has turned the water off to do some repairs, and forgotten to let you know – check with them before contacting Council.

Low pressure

If your water pressure is low, and you have town supply water, contact us. It’s helpful if you can let us know over what time period you’ve noticed a drop in water pressure.

If you have a supply tank on your roof, contact a plumber.

Taste and odour

Tap water supplied by the Kāpiti Coast District Council is safe to drink. We will issue a Boil Water notice if there is any action you need to take.

The Ministry of Health recommends flushing a mug of water from your tap each morning before use, as the water in the pipes may have dissolved or absorbed small amounts of substances from your plumbing overnight.

If you’re concerned about the taste or odour of your water, you could try flushing your property. This moves all the water sitting in your pipes and replaces it with the fresh water from the main in your street.

Stage one of best practice flushing involves:

• running your outside taps for at least ten minutes at full volume – the increased velocity will flush the pipe from the main to your house
• turn off your outside taps and check the water for clarity and taste.

If you’re happy with the water entering your property, go to stage two.

Stage 2 starts with the cold water tap furthest from your kitchen tap:

• turn on it on for around a minute then turn off and move to the next furthest cold water tap; repeat
• continue this process, including the bath, shower, hand basin, toilets, and laundry etc, and finish with the cold water tap in your kitchen.

Finally, you could also try chilling your tap water in the fridge before drinking it – it just tastes better!