IT might not look the best, but discoloured water pouring from taps in some sections of the Central Coast is safe to drink, the council said.
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Central Coast Council issued a media statement today acknowledging an increased number of discoloured water incidents across the region.
"Although not appealing, the water remains safe to drink," the council said.
"Regular tests performed by council and independent National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) registered laboratories ensure water is safe for human consumption and complies with the water quality guideline values provided in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines."
Discoloured water was a common occurrence that could be caused by several issues, the council said.
It is more frequently experienced during summer and periods of daily or seasonally higher demand, in low-lying areas, dead-end streets, and streets that normally experience low flow velocities.
Council has responded to calls over the past few days to identify the cause of discoloured water at Point Clare.
Council staff have made multiple site visits to carry out flushing and sampling of the water mains to resolve the issues.
Council also regularly carries out programmed flushing on a fortnightly and monthly basis for areas with known historic patterns of discoloured and dirty water complaints to reduce the likelihood of this occurring.
"Council's regular flushing program has been delayed over the last few weeks as crews respond to urgent works following the recent storms, which may be the cause of the increased number of complaints recently," the council said.
Advice was provided for residents.
"In the event of discoloured water, first check council's website to see if there is a disruption in your area.
"If there is not a disruption, residents are advised to run the front garden tap into a bucket for 60 seconds every half an hour to check if the water has cleared. If the water in the front tap does not improve after an hour contact council on 1300 463 954."
Once the water in the front tap was clear, residents should clear inside water lines by running the back garden tap into a bucket until the water was clear," the council said.
Water collected during this process can be used to water gardens.
More information can be found at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/residents/roads-and-water/drinking-water-quality
