“Oh sh**… I used the water in my baby’s bottles”
22:34, 17 Aug 2025Updated 00:20, 18 Aug 2025
Tap water appeared to suddenly turn brown in a Greater Manchester borough(Image: Kath Richmond)
Tap water appeared to suddenly turn brown in a Greater Manchester borough on Sunday (August 17) leaving residents confused.
Those living in the WA3 and WN4 postcodes of Warrington and Wigan began noticing discoloured water coming from their taps on Sunday night.
Pictures shared on social media showed baths and sinks with sediment left in them, with others showing bath water turning a light brown colour.
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One post read: “Omg just run the bath what’s going on? We are drinking this too.” As another person commented: “My taps were running for over an hour as they state to try and clear it and it only got increasingly worse.”
“Oh sh**… I used the water in my baby’s bottles,” commented a third as another said: “[It] looked like a sand pit settling on the bottom of it.”
Pictures shared on social media showed baths and sinks with sediment left in them(Image: Ellisha Wilson)
It was later confirmed that the incident had been reported due to a disturbance in the water mains, which means historical sediments that had built up in water pipes caused the discolouration.
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Sharing an update online, local councillor Danny Fletcher said: “I’ve met with United Utilities officers this evening. The issue is due to a disturbance in the water mains, which has stirred up old sediment (like iron and manganese) in the pipes.
“According to United Utilities, even though it doesn’t look great, it’s unlikely to be harmful, and will settle down in time.”
A statement issued by United Utilities added: “We have received a number of calls from customers in the WA3/WN4 area, letting us know that their tap water is discoloured.
“This has happened because of a disturbance in the water mains in your area. Historical sediments that have built up over time in the water pipe have been disturbed causing discolouration to your water. This normally happens when we have carried out a repair or have replaced a section of water main.
“We know it doesn’t look nice but don’t worry, it’s unlikely to be harmful and will settle down again with time. You can help by letting your cold water tap run at a slight trickle until your water runs clear again.
“In the meantime we’ll be keeping an eye on this to make sure your tap water returns to normal again as quickly as possible. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may be causing.”
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