Hawick water tasting of chlorine is safe to drink, residents assured

Teries are being assured their tap water is safe to drink despite complaints from residents about it tasting and smelling strongly of chlorine.

Scottish Water says the change in taste, which was first noticed this week, is down to a temporary change in the way they are treating the town’s water supply.

A spokeswoman said: “We have temporarily changed the treatment process used in the supply of drinking water from chloraminated to chlorinated in a proactive measure to ensure continued high water quality in parts of the Borders supplied by Roberton water treatment works.

“Customers may have noticed a change in the taste and smell of their water.

“The supply has now stabilised making the chlorine taste less obvious. If customers smell or taste chlorine in the water from their tap we advise them to pour water into a jug and leave it to stand for short period before drinking.”

Both chloramination and chlorination are widely used by water providers to treat water to ensure it is safe to drink. Scottish Water uses both processes and can change between them at different times of the year