How can I make my tap water taste better?
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Part of our tap water guide
A glass that tastes flat, chlorinated or faintly chemical is annoying. What do UK regulators and water companies say to try?
Short answer: Chill a covered jug of cold kitchen tap water in the fridge. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) says this reduces chlorine taste and smell, and that unused water should be thrown away after 24 hours. Scottish Water suggests a couple of hours, Severn Trent a few. If it lingers, the DWI says plumbing is the most common cause.
By Andrew Tomlinson, WaterKit · Last reviewed 29 October 2026
How can I make my tap water taste better?
Work through these free steps, none of which needs a filter, and stop when the taste is gone. To see whether a step changes anything at your own tap, a 20-in-1 test strip can show where chlorine, copper and hardness sit on our chart before and after, though a small change can fall within one chart step. Our taste guide covers the causes.
| Step | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| 1. Use the cold kitchen tap | The Drinking Water Inspectorate says to use freshly drawn water from the cold tap fed directly off the mains, nearly always the kitchen one. It says hot water and bathroom cold taps are not recommended for drinking, because hot water can carry elevated copper and bathroom taps may be fed from a tank |
| 2. Run the tap if the water has stood | After several hours with no water used, the DWI says to draw off a washing-up bowlful before drinking. Flushing also clears stale water and a metallic taste |
| 3. Chill a covered jug | The DWI says a jug in the fridge for a short period reduces chlorine smell and taste, with unused water thrown away after 24 hours. CCW's Go Tap page gives the same tip and adds regularly cleaning the taps. Scotland's regulator says cool water always tastes better. Scottish Water gives a couple of hours, and Severn Trent a few hours but no longer than 24 |
| 4. Boil and cool it, if still sensitive | United Utilities says boiling can help remove most of the chlorine if a smell remains after chilling, and WaterSafe gives about five minutes. Both say to cool it covered in the fridge and discard it after 24 hours. See our boiling guide |
| 5. Add a slice | The NHS says that if you do not like the taste of water, you can try sparkling water, no added sugar squash, or a slice of lemon or lime |
Our chlorine removal guide goes further on steps 3 and 4.
What can I fix at home if the jug does not help?
Check the kettle, the appliance hoses and the tap, because the DWI says traces from plumbing, fittings and appliances are the most common cause of unusual tastes.
| If you notice | Try this |
|---|---|
| A taste only in hot drinks | Boil some in a saucepan. If the taste goes, the DWI says the kettle is the likely cause, more often a new plastic one |
| A chemical, rubber or TCP taste from the cold tap | Turn off the service valve to the washing machine or dishwasher, run the tap and taste again (DWI). A missing non-return valve on the hose is a known cause. Severn Trent offers its own customers a free one, and other companies may differ |
| A taste from the tap itself | The DWI says a tap washer or stop tap fitting can be to blame, especially after new taps are fitted. WaterSafe says replacing worn washers and tap seats helps |
| A rotten, stagnant or sewage smell | Take a glass of the water into another room. If the smell goes, the DWI says the sink or drain is the likely issue. If it stays, the DWI says to contact your water company immediately |
| A musty or earthy taste you have just noticed | WaterSafe says organisms can grow on washers and inside taps, and suggests washing the tap inside and out with a mild household disinfectant, then running it to rinse |
Why might my tap taste different from the area average or my neighbour's?
The area figure is an average. Your tap sits at the end of your own pipework, and a figure for the area does not tell you what comes out of your own tap. The DWI says supplies are regularly tested against the drinking water standards, and also says the most common cause of unusual tastes is the plumbing inside the property. Sources we read give these reasons it can differ from house to house.
- Pipes and tanks. The DWI says water in contact with copper, iron or galvanised pipes, tanks or fittings for long periods may pick up a metallic or bitter flavour, more noticeable when warmed. It also says black plastic alkathene pipes from the 1960s and 1970s can give a taste like a wooden pencil. Our loft tank guide explains why bathroom taps differ.
- Distance and timing. The DWI says chlorine may be a little higher near the treatment works than several miles away. Severn Trent adds that it can be stronger at morning and early evening peaks, and in colder water. Scottish Water and United Utilities say a recently replaced main can make it more noticeable. The DWI says water companies typically keep residual chlorine to 0.5 mg/l or less, and most aim below 1 mg/l.
- Season and source. The DWI says about half of drinking water comes from rivers and reservoirs, which can taste musty or earthy in summer, and companies may switch sources. It also says hard water from a chalky area tastes very different from soft hill reservoir water.
“If the taste at your tap doesn't match what the area says, I wouldn't be surprised, because your tap sits at the end of your own pipework. It's sensible to check your own water rather than assume the area figure describes it.”
A strip dipped at your own tap can show where your chlorine, copper and hardness sit on the chart, which an area figure cannot, and you can enter the colours in our results portal.
Do I need a filter to make tap water taste better?
Not according to the sources we read. United Utilities says filters are not necessary and WaterSafe says they generally are not, though both say some customers like them. For those who want one, the DWI names a jug filter with an activated carbon cartridge, and says to follow the maker's instructions carefully because not doing so can cause contamination and hygiene problems. Our filter jug guide covers what jugs do.
When should I contact my water company?
When the taste is particularly strong, stops you drinking the water, or is new and does not go away in a short time, according to the DWI. For other changes, the DWI suggests checking your other taps and then asking your neighbours, to see whether the problem is confined to the plumbing inside your home. A petrol or fuel taste needs an immediate call to your water company and local authority.
How can I check my own tap with a test strip?
Dip a strip in a glass of each sample and compare the pads, which gives you a before and after for your own tap. The WaterKit Water Test Kit has a 20-in-1 strip. Fill a clean glass or cup, dip one strip, wait 30 to 60 seconds and match the pads to the chart, or enter the colours in our results portal. The right-hand column is our own reading.
| Pad | Chart steps (mg/L) | What a before and after can indicate |
|---|---|---|
| Free and total chlorine | 0, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 | With typical levels at 0.5 mg/l or less, many taps may read 0 or 0.5. A tap at 0.5 or 1 and a fridge-jug sample at 0 indicates the level fell below the first step. Matching readings indicate any change is smaller than one step |
| Copper | 0, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5 | A first-draw sample at 0.2 or above and a flushed sample a step lower indicates standing water had picked some up |
| Hardness | 0, 25, 50, 100, 250, 425 | Shows where your water sits on our chart (unit unconfirmed), which helps explain a taste that differs from a friend's. See our hardness guide |
No pad reads plastic, rubber, TCP or musty tastes. Iron, which the DWI also links to metallic tastes, only shows at high levels, so a clear iron pad does not rule it out. The strip cannot read lead at the UK limit, so if a metallic taste makes you wonder about old pipes, see our lead pipes guide. A strip result is not a legal sample, so for a persistent taste call your water company.
The area figure is an average, and the DWI says the most common cause of unusual tastes is the plumbing inside the property, so your own tap may differ from it. The pads that matter here are chlorine, copper and hardness. A chlorine reading that drops after a fridge-jug sample indicates the level fell, a copper reading that falls after flushing indicates standing water had picked some up, and the hardness pad shows where your water sits on our chart. Best pack: 20 strips, enough for five rounds of four samples (first draw, flushed, fridge jug, boiled and cooled), £5.99 (or £10.99 with a bacteria test), with free 2nd Class delivery on every order. See the kit
Your tap water taste improvement questions
How to make tap water taste better? How can I make tap water taste better? How to make tap water taste good? How to improve tap water taste?
Use the cold kitchen tap, run it if the water has stood, then chill a covered jug. The NHS also suggests a slice of lemon or lime.
How to make tap water taste better without a filter?
Every step in the first table works without one. For chlorine, the DWI says cooling water in the fridge is all that is needed.
How to make tap water taste like bottled water?
In the sources we read (the DWI, DWQR, CCW, nidirect, the NHS, WaterSafe and four water companies), we found no guidance on making tap water taste like a bottled water. CCW invites people to try telling the two apart in its Go Tap taste test. Our tap versus bottled water guide covers both.
Does boiling tap water make it taste better?
It can, for chlorine. nidirect, United Utilities and WaterSafe all say boiling removes chlorine or most of it. A taste that appears only after boiling is usually the kettle, WaterSafe says.
How to get rid of chlorine taste in tap water?
A covered jug in the fridge, the DWI says, as in step 3.
How to get rid of metallic taste in tap water?
The DWI says flushing the tap before use draws fresh water through the pipes and fittings and removes it. WaterSafe says a metallic taste in hot drinks, especially tea, is most likely from plumbing materials such as rubber washers or nearby appliances, not from chlorine.
Sources
- Drinking Water Inspectorate, Taste and Odour in Drinking Water (plumbing as the most common cause, metallic taste and flushing, alkathene pipes, seasonal and source changes, geology, hot and bathroom taps, what to do if you notice changes; undated page; read 29 October 2026).
- Drinking Water Inspectorate, Chlorine (typically 0.5 mg/l or less, most aim below 1 mg/l, distance from the works, fridge jug and 24 hours, carbon jug filter, following maker's instructions, freshly drawn cold mains water, draw off a washing-up bowlful; undated page; read 29 October 2026).
- Drinking Water Inspectorate, TCP or medicinal taste and odour (kettle, appliance and tap fitting checks; undated page; read 29 October 2026).
- Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland, Chlorine (covered jug in the fridge, cool water, 24 hours; undated page; read 29 October 2026) and Tastes and Smells (undated page; read 29 October 2026).
- CCW, Go Tap (covered jug in the fridge, cleaning taps, tap versus bottled taste test; undated page; read 29 October 2026).
- Scottish Water, Water Quality FAQs (clean jug, covered, in the fridge for a couple of hours, use within 24 hours, replaced mains; undated page; read 29 October 2026).
- Severn Trent, My water tastes and smells unusual (jug in the fridge for a few hours and no longer than 24, time of day and temperature, free single-check valve; undated page; read 29 October 2026). One company's advice.
- United Utilities, Chlorine (chilling, boiling, filters not necessary, replaced mains; undated page; read 29 October 2026).
- nidirect, Dealing with drinking water problems (fridge for a few hours, boiling removes chlorine; undated page; read 29 October 2026).
- WaterSafe, Why does my water smell/taste of chlorine? (fridge, boiling about five minutes, filters generally not necessary, metallic taste in hot drinks), antiseptic/TCP after being boiled (taste after boiling usually the kettle), rubber, plastic, antiseptic or TCP (isolating valve, worn washers) and earthy or musty (cleaning the tap); all undated pages, read 29 October 2026.
- NHS, Water, drinks and hydration (sparkling water, squash, lemon or lime; page last reviewed 17 May 2023, and its next review date of 17 May 2026 has passed; read 29 October 2026).
- WaterKit, Water Test Kit (20-in-1 strip, 30 to 60 second read, optional rapid coliform test read after 24 to 48 hours, from £3.99, free 2nd Class delivery on every order) and results portal. The strip-chart column and the comparisons with official figures are WaterKit's own reading of the colour chart steps.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.