TAP water drinkers may notice their water running cloudy and the pressure dropping later this month.

From September 18 the mains in Sandhurst will be flushed out, with the aim of maintaining drinking water quality.

The process involves directing water through the pipes to remove sediment deposits, such as iron and manganese.

For a short while this may cause tap water to come out murky and less forcefully. 

South East Water’s distribution manager Paul Mann, said: “Flushing our water mains from the start to finish of our network – from our service reservoirs, which store fully treated drinking water, to the point at which it supplies our customers – is a very effective way of cleaning the inside of our water mains.

“Once the water reaches its journey’s end, the flushed water containing these deposits is directed into the drains to be recycled.

“We appreciate customers may have concerns about this water appearing to run to waste, but we only draw through our pipes as much as we need, and stop flushing once we can see the whole system is running crystal clear as usual.

“During the flushing process customers may notice a reduction in water pressure, and possibly some discolouration, but this is temporary and can be solved by running the kitchen tap until the water runs clear.”