Here are some common causes of funny-tasting water:

Chlorine Taste – Many water supplies use chlorine to disinfect water. While it keeps your water safe, it can leave a distinct taste. A water filtration system can reduce or remove chlorine.

Metallic Taste – This could be a sign of high levels of iron, copper, or zinc in your water, often due to old pipes. A water test will help identify these contaminants.

Earthy or Musty Flavor – This is usually caused by organic matter like algae or bacteria in your water source. If your water tastes like it came straight from the garden, it’s time for a test!

Salty Taste – This could indicate a high sodium content, possibly from water softeners or nearby saltwater intrusion.

If you’re noticing any strange tastes in your water, don’t ignore it! It might be a sign of an underlying issue. At Watertech Plus, we offer professional water testing and solutions to get your water tasting fresh and clean again.

https://watertechplus.co.nz/pages/water-testing

Unfiltered water that runs through your pipes can contain dissolved sediments that build up and cause damage to your appliances and internal pipes. Our innovative products treat the water supply before entering your home, removing any dissolved materials such as limestone, iron, sulphur, magnesium and calcium or by changing the molecular structure of the water to significantly reduce scaling therefore protecting your pipework and appliances.

The build-up on your shower walls is usually caused by hardness in your water. This is common problem in many water sources and generally occurs in hot water areas. It is mainly composed of calcium and magnesium which as it comes in contact with warm water it becomes less soluble as it comes out of the water and deposits as a hard scale deposit.

The traditional treatment is using Ion exchange to push these minerals out of solution and back washing them off prior to entry to your home. We also have new technology that changes the molecular structure of the water to significantly reduce scaling with no sacrificial elements or consumables such as salt which is used in traditional softeners.

Check out our range of water softeners and conditioners.

The most common cause of stinky water is anaerobic bacteria present somewhere in your water system. Over time, organic matter can build up in your water tank and serve as a food for bacteria to grow. The anaerobic bacteria produce hydrogen sulphide gas that smells like rotten eggs or sewage when they break down organic material.

Traditionally chlorine has been widely used to correct this issue however leaves a residue that can be tasted and smelt making it unpleasant to drink. We recommend using TankSafe™ which is an alternative to Chlorine. It is tasteless, odourless and chlorine-free, designed specifically for tank water disinfection. TankSafe™ is low cost and non-toxic. TankSafe™ will stay in your tank and keep it protected from bacteria and pathogens for up to 2 months.

Tannin in your water can also be a cause for discolouration or smell in your water. Tannin comes from the trees that drop leaves and bark on your roof which end up flowing into your tank. We recommend having your water tested for Tannin prior to installing a tannin filter.

Staining on your toilet is cause by a build-up of minerals or in other words “hard water”. These minerals can include calcium, magnesium, and iron. If your toilet is not cleaned regularly, the minerals will accumulate and darken.

Main water – it is still possible to have bacteria in your water even when on towns supply, through things like distribution faults and maintenance.

Ground water – you have contamination from things like agriculture or in a farm situation where there’s a septic tank, there can be soakage which gets into your water.

Rainwater – birds roosting in your roof, dirt and decaying leaf matter that will get into your tank and can breed bacteria.
There is a few things you can do:
Chemical approach – a chemical is added to the water to kill the bacteria. Depending on the disinfectant used this can have some side affects in terms of other reactions that goes on with that disinfectant. It also requires maintenance and regular addition of that chemical to the water to make sure the system is free from harmful bacteria.

Physically exclude the bacteria – for things like Giardia and cryptosporidium can be excluded by a half micron filter. The trouble is if you want to scale that up to something like your whole house, is that half micron filter can be quite restrictive on the flow that you get. If you want to restrict bacteria such as E.coli, which are much smaller then all of a sudden you reduce your flow rate even more. So, it becomes quite difficult and high maintenance to filter the bacteria out.

Ultraviolet Treatment System – this uses specific wavelengths of UV light to sterilise the bacteria as it is coming into your house. The advantage of this is it doesn’t leave any chemical residues, it doesn’t leave any taste, and it also allows you to really get that flow rate up. So, you can disinfectant the water that comes to your ensuite for example, or the water that sprays over you in the shower.

In summary, bacteria is commonly found in all water sources. So, our recommendation is to assume it is going to be there and treat for it.

Iron is the most common issue in ground water after hardness. It causes staining of fences, pathways, Laundrys and basically anything else it touches. It affects the taste of your water, can block your filters prematurely, and interferes with disinfection including common chemicals and UV sterilisation.

There are two common forms of Iron – Dissolved Iron, where the water comes out clear but colours as its exposed to air and Oxidised Iron, where the water may be orange in colour as it comes out.

The treatment options include:
Catalytic Iron removal System – accelerates the reaction of Iron and oxygen in the water. It removes both the soluble and the oxidised iron and it acts as an automatic backwashing filter so you can get the iron levels very low.

Ion Exchange (eg. A softener) – it removes the soluble iron only and is good for low level iron where the water is also hard. It does have a few draw backs which is why it is only suitable for low level iron. High level iron means high salt usage and brine disposal. Also softened water may not be suitable for the garden due to the risk of sodium build up. So, if you’re using a softener for iron consider those points. A resin cleaner is also required because removal during backwash is not affecting the salt alone.
Aeration and chemical oxidation – are less common options. They also soluble iron to oxidised iron which would then be filtered out.

Before choosing an Iron Removal System, you will need a water analysis. This is to make sure that you get the correct size system and capacity for your needs.