Bitter or metallic

• If your cold water pipe runs too close to your hot water pipe, it will warm up your cold water and cause it to pick up traces of substances like copper. 

• In large buildings with long lengths of pipework and low water flows, the water has to travel through more pipes before it reaches your tap. This can cause a metallic taste or smell. 

• If your water has been standing in pipes for long periods of time, the smell or taste can come from the metal that's used in your pipework (such as copper or zinc). 

Occasionally glasses or cups that have been through a dishwasher may retain traces of detergents which can also lead to a bitter taste. 

Customers sometimes identify the taste of chlorine as metallic. Click here for advice on chlorine taste and smell. 

Run your tap: Doing this for a few minutes will bring fresh water into your property and flush the system. This will usually resolve the metallic taste or smell. Instead of letting the water go to waste, why not collect it to water your plants with. 

Check your storage tank: If you have a water storage tank, it's also worth checking what it's made from and what condition it's in as this could be behind the taste or smell. 

Check your hot and cold water pipes aren't too close to each other: You or a plumber should check that they aren't touching. If they are too close together, you may need to insulate or 'lag' your water pipes to stop the transfer of heat.