Letchworth Garden City Water: Your Supplier & Rates

If you have just moved to Letchworth Garden City and have some questions about your water, you will be able to find out who handles the Letchworth Garden City water supply as well as wastewater services in the information below. Additionally, we have tips on how to deal with Letchworth Garden City's water hardness and other great money-saving tips so that you can get the most out of the water in your home.

Letchworth Garden City Water Supplier

Letchworth Garden City water is supplied by Affinity Water. Here are the contact details for your Letchworth Garden City water supplier:

Letchworth Garden City sewerage and wastewater is handled by a seperate company, Anglian Water. Here are Letchworth Garden City sewerage and wastewater contact details:

Be aware that calls to numbers starting with 03 may be charged at local rates by your phone company.

Where does Letchworth Garden City water come from?

60% of the water that Affinity Water provides to your home originates in underground chalk aquifers. When the level of water lowers in the aquifers, your water supply will be supplemented with water from alternate sources such as boreholes or surface water sources like rivers and streams until rainwater sufficiently restocks the aquifers. As each water source has its own unique mix of minerals, this can affect the hardness and quality of water in your home throughout the year. Read on to find out what this means for you.

Letchworth Garden City Water Hardness

Letchworth Garden City water hardness is rated as very hard water. While rainwater itself is relatively soft, water hardness can change through the water cycle. Due to the way water filters through rocks in Letchworth Garden City Water's supply area, Letchworth Garden City water picks up minerals, such as magnesium or calcium, on the way to your tap.

Hard water means that your taps and pipes will be inclined to develop limescale, and your water will be less efficient at tasks such as cleaning clothes or dishes. Here are a few ways that you can combat the effects of hard water in your home:

1. Kettles: Avoid overfilling your kettle with water, using only as much water as is necessary for the task at hand. You should occasionally clean your kettle by half-filling it with water and adding two tablespoons of white vinegar, leaving it for four hours to loosen scale build-up. Rinse and repeat to remove the scale.
2. Baths, sinks and toilets: Use an acidic sanitiser regularly will help to remove and slow the accumulation of limescale.
3. Clothing - Powder-based detergents should be avoided due to them being less effective at resisting water hardness and preventing soap scum. Additionally, you should occasionally clean your washing machine by adding baking soda and white vinegar directly into the empty drum and setting it to a hot wash. Make sure to wipe down the drum thoroughly afterwards. This process limits and removes limescale build-up.
4. Dishwashers: Take advantage of the built-in water softener. Make sure you regularly top it off with dishwasher salt in the appropriate compartment.

Can you drink the water in Letchworth Garden City?

Yes! You can drink the water in Letchworth Garden City without the need for concern. The water in Letchworth Garden City meets the highest standards to make the water safe to drink. The UK Drinking Water Inspectorate has scored Letchworth Garden City's water quality at 99.96% in overall mean zonal compliance, meaning that your water is safe to drink. It is not necessary to purchase bottled water or to boil Letchworth Garden City's water to make it potable.

If you notice a change in taste or smell of Letchworth Garden City water this may be due to one of the following reasons:

1. Chlorination is a safe way to ensure hygiene throughout the pipe network. This assists in the elimination of harmful bacterias and contaminants, and does not pose a risk to health, but can subtly influence the taste of your water.
2. Seasonal changes can infuse Letchworth Garden City water with an earthy smell or taste due to changes in mineral presences and how water moved through the water table.
3. Plumbing can also contribute to the taste of your household water, adding metallic, salty or rubbery hints.

If you have questions about your water's taste, smell or appearance, you should not hesitate to contact Affinity Water.

Water Rates Letchworth Garden City

Water rates in Letchworth Garden City depend on if your home has a water meter. You can easily find out whether your Letchworth Garden City water rates are metered or not by checking your water bill. Homes that have metered Letchworth Garden City water rates will have a meter number listed on their water bills.

If you've just moved in or you don't have a bill handy, you can look outside your house or in the front garden for a meter. Sometimes the meter may also be located inside your house near the stop tap. If you can find a meter, then this means that your home will have metered water rates.

Homes that are not metered won't have this, but they will have the rateable value of the home instead. The rateable value will have been determined by the local council in the 90s and is unlikely to have changed significantly since then. This value is subject to review every five years and is based on factors such as property occupancy, size and the availability of local services to calculate a usage value for your home, which is then applied to your bills.

If you need help deciding if a water meter is for you, check out Selectra's essential guide to water meters to find out more.

The average water rates Letchworth Garden City residents are being charged result in an average water bill of around £417 a year. This amount combines both water supply and sewerage costs.

Looking to save money on your water bill? Then our handy guide to water rates in the UK will give you some great tips & tricks to lower your spend.

Letchworth Garden City Water Problems

Letchworth Garden City water problems can come in various forms, including anything from burst water mains, flooding or even failure of water supply. This is why you should make sure you know what to do and who to contact regarding water emergencies.

If you notice a water leak or flooding outside your Letchworth Garden City property, you need to do one of the following:

1. If you are out and about, call or tweet Affinity Water or Anglian Water depending if the issue relates to water supply, or wastewater.
2. If you are near a computer, go to the "report a leak" section of the Affinity Water or Anglian Water websites as appropriate and fill out the online form.

Letchworth Garden City No Water

If you have no water in your home, you need to find out if the issue is to do with your home plumbing or if it is an Affinity Water outage impacting Letchworth Garden City.

1. Check the "In Your Area" sections of the Affinity Water website for any information explaining why you have no water.
2. Ask your neighbours whether they have the same issue as you. If they don't have a similar problem, then it is likely that something to do with your home's plumbing is causing the issue.
3. Check that your stop tap is open. If it is in the closed position, turning this to the open position should allow water to resume flowing to your taps. If this doesn't rectify the issue, then there is a problem with the water supply to your home, and you should contact Affinity Water.

If you have no water, is it only no cold water or no hot water? If you have cold water but no hot water, the issue will be with your home plumbing and not the water company.

If there is no cold water, not even a trickle, contact Affinity Water for assistance.

Letchworth Garden City Water Discolouration

If the water in your home is discoloured, the issue might be an Affinity Water issue impacting Letchworth Garden City.

1. Changes to the colour of the water in Letchworth Garden City may happen after a burst pipe has been repaired.
2. Or, Affinity Water could have been carrying out upgrade work on the pipes in Letchworth Garden City.
3. Water Discolouration is not harmful and can often be cleared by running the cold water tap until it becomes clear.

If there is no improvement after trying this, you can contact Affinity Water for assistance.