Brightling Parish Council has raised the question of chlorine-smelling water with South East Water, and received the following reply.

Chlorine in the Water Supply

Chlorine is essential for disinfecting the water supply and ensuring it remains safe from harmful bacteria as it travels from our treatment works to customers’ taps.

While we have not made any permanent changes to the way we treat water in your area, there are a few reasons why the smell or taste of chlorine might have seemed more prominent in late April and May:

Seasonal Temperature Changes: As the weather warms up in the spring, water temperatures rise in our network. This can naturally cause chlorine to evaporate more quickly when it comes out of the tap, making the smell more noticeable to customers.

Network Maintenance: If there was recent flushing or maintenance in the Brightling area, water may have travelled to homes faster than usual, resulting in a slightly higher (though still entirely safe) level of residual chlorine.

A Quick Test: Residents can fill a glass with water and step outside of the kitchen to smell it. If the smell dissipates quickly in the open air, it is standard chlorine evaporation. If the water itself retains a heavy, chemical/TCP odour, it is almost certainly a reaction with an internal rubber fixture.

Household Plumbing and Fixtures

Occasionally, a strong chemical, bleach, or “TCP” smell can happen when the small, safe amount of chlorine in the water supply reacts with everyday rubber or plastic fittings inside the home. Please be assured the water remains completely safe to use, but we understand the smell can be quite unpleasant.

If residents are experiencing this, it can be really helpful to check a few common areas around the house:

Appliance Hoses: As the flexible hoses connecting dishwashers and washing machines naturally age, they can react with the water. If these are connected under the kitchen sink, it can make the main cold water tap smell. Fitting a simple “one-way check valve” to the pipe usually clears this up right away.

Taps and Kettles: The small rubber washers inside kitchen taps, or the plastic seals inside everyday kettles, can also produce a similar reaction as they get older.

If any resident continues to experience a persistent issue after checking their internal fixtures, please encourage them to contact us directly at customerservices@southeastwater.co.uk so we can arrange a site visit and water test at their property.