How do you like yours?
You might like yours piping hot or prefer it served ice cold, on the go, with a slice of lemon or sometimes, you add the milk first. However you like yours, we just add water.
We like our water fresh from the tap. We work hard to make sure you get clean, clear, and great tasting water from the tap, so you can have it just the way you like it. We are passionate about water, and understand its importance to your everyday life.
Take a minute and think about your morning routine, now think about how much that would change without water. Water matters quite a bit, doesn’t it?
But water just falls from the sky, right?
We're pleased you asked! Technically, yes, water falls from the sky. However, we strongly advise against drinking it straight from a puddle!
Not only do we hold ourselves to high standards, but so does the law. We treat and test our water (a lot!) to make sure it meets all requirements and regulations.
We spend a huge amount of effort, energy, and time turning rainfall into the wonderful wet stuff that comes out of your tap. We’re proud to supply our customers with some of the best quality tap water in the UK, not to mention cleanest in the world.
How do you get it to my tap?
Your water starts its journey in one of many water sources in Essex and Suffolk, be it a river, a spring, deep underground, or an open-air reservoir, where rainwater is collected and stored.
We take raw water from one, or more, of these sources and transfer to one of our water treatment works with the help of pumps and pipes. Once there, the water goes through several stages to make sure every drop is treated to the highest standard.
At the end of the water treatment process, the water flows into large tanks, known as service reservoirs, where it’s stored until we need to push it along our huge network of pipes to your home.
As you can see, your tap water doesn’t just fall from the sky, it goes through quite a lot before you get your hands on it.
How do you make sure I always have water?
We treat and supply 450 million litres of water every single day.
To make sure we can supply all our customers with the water they need, sometimes we need to move water around our huge network of pipes or use different sources of water for a short amount of time. All our water is treated to the same high standard, however when we make changes like this, you may notice a difference in taste or smell.
We all get used to the taste and smell of our water so any small change can be noticed instantly, this is completely normal. The change can often be improved by chilling your water in the fridge for an hour or so or popping a slice of lemon in your glass if you can't wait that long.
If you notice a major change in the taste or smell of your water, check out some information about taste and smell for more advice and help.
Recently, we've seen an increase in the amount of water that everyone's using. To help us, and to make sure everyone has the water they need, please use your water wisely. You can find out more water saving tips, because water's worth saving.
Your water journey...
More in this section
Taste and smells
Did you know, the taste and smell of your water can change based on where you live or where your water comes from?
Learn more about taste and smells
Discoloured water
Water is usually crystal clear, but things like repair work, pipe fittings or even air bubbles can change the colour
Find out about discoloured water