Complaints have flooded in about tap water in Herne Bay smelling and tasting like a “swimming pool”.

Residents across the town have noticed their baths and morning coffees often having a whiff of chlorine, claiming it has been particularly prevalent over the last couple of weeks.

But for Wendy Diamond, 49, it has been a daily aggravation for about five years.

“First thing in the morning the water smells of chlorine and tastes disgusting,” she said.

“I have to run my taps for a long time to get rid of the smell and only drink bottled water now.

"It would be great if there was actually something done about it as I’m fed up with paying for foul-tasting water.”

Ms Diamond added her baths often smell like a swimming pool and this has resulted in her now being afflicted with dry skin.

In order to combat this, she spends more than £25 per month on moisturiser and a further £25 to drink bottled water.

Sea Street resident Dave Wilson, 48, has also noticed the odour and says that, while the water looks fine, he has to run his taps for about five minutes for it to clear.

“It’s an inconvenience because when you wake up in the morning you don’t want your first drink of the day to be a mouthful of chlorine,” he explained.

“I’ve noticed it at work also and I imagine everybody round here suffers from it at some point.

“It only ever happens in the morning and I normally notice it about once a month.”

Dr Neil Hudson, South East Water’s head of water quality, has acknowledged chlorine can be noticeable because the company uses “carefully controlled amounts” to kill bacteria.

“It is a legal requirement that we disinfect drinking water,” he said.

“To reduce the smell and taste of chlorine a good solution is to fill a jug with tap water, cover it and store it in the fridge.

“Not only will the chilled water taste better, it will lose the chlorine smell.”

He also claimed that the taste and smell of tap water can be affected by how far residents are from the water treatment works, the time of day and “the customer’s own perception”.

Chlorine is added into tap water supplies to help reduce the chance of harmful waterborne bacteria spreading through through the water, such as e.coli and the norovirus.

The strength of the chlorine scent can be affected by the temperature of the water, as colder water can hold on to chlorine for longer.

Concerned residents have been urged to contact South East Water on 0333 0000002 or by visiting southeastwater.co.uk.