Why your tap water may taste different during lockdown

PEOPLE have been pointing out on social media that their tap water tastes different on lockdown - and it turns out they are right.

Hundreds of thousands of people across Coventry and Warwickshire are spending more time at home at the moment because of coronavirus.

That means they are using their taps more - and some have taken to social media to point out the water seems, well, different.

And it turns out it does - precisely because they are using their taps more.

The deadly Covid-19 bug has caused a nationwide shutdown, with Brits set to stay at home unless absolutely necessary.

The flavour is down to chlorine in the water which is added at the treatment plant before the supply hits your tap.

Utilities companies have advised that they are not adding extra chlorine during lockdown - but the lockdown rules mean people may be noticing the chlorine more than usual because of higher demand on home supplies. In short, the fact that more water is being used in our homes means the chlorine doesn’t have time to fully dissipate before we drink it. While this poses absolutely no danger, it can mean you notice the taste or smell.

A spokesman for South Staffs Water said: “The taste of chlorine may be more noticeable at times of day when water use is high. This is because the water is reaching you quicker and contains more chlorine than when it has been standing in the pipes. Levels of chlorine may also become more noticeable if we’ve been working on the water mains or if we have to supply you with water from a different water treatment works.”