Parts of Carnoustie woke up to find discoloured and “chemical” smelling water running from their taps on Tuesday morning.
Scottish Water advised those living around James Street, Taymouth Terrace and McBride Drive to run kitchen taps cold at half pressure until the water runs clear.
The issue was caused by a burst pipe, the organisation says.
Locals took to social media to look for answers after noticing the problem as early as 7am.
Scottish Water was then inundated with people raising safety concerns.
One resident discovered the issues immediately upon waking up.
He said: “I went to pour a glass and put it to my mouth and although it was clear, it stank of chemicals or petrol.
“When I ran my hot water, it was very brown and I think it has been off overnight by the looks of things.”
Another local, Duncan Milne, said: “It had a strong odour – a smell like petrol or naphthalene.
“It seems to be effecting a number of streets in the lower half of the town.
“Scottish Water are being very dismissive to people reporting the problem, especially on social media.
“They’ve said there may be a slight discolouration. There is nothing ‘slight’ about it.”
He added someone from Scottish Water had been round to his home taking samples.
The organisations says work on the drinking water supply network can disturb natural sediment in the pipes which can temporarily change the water’s taste and smell.
It says the samples show it can be used as normal for drinking, cooking and cleaning and does not pose a risk to public health.
A Scottish Water spokeswoman said; “We would like to reassure customers that the water is safe to be used as normal.
“We have had a number of calls about a change to the taste and odour and this can happen after work takes place on the network. It may temporarily taste and smell different to how it normally does but it remains safe to drink.
“To help remove the odour and taste customers are advised to pour water from their tap into a jug or large container and leave it in the fridge for around 30 minutes before drinking.
“We will continue to look into this issue to find the cause of the changes and will continue to carry out testing to ensure the supply to the town meets stringent water quality requirements.
“We thank affected customers for their patience and understanding.”
The public water supply is treated to remove any impurities that may be present in the raw water source to ensure it complies with strict regulations.
The way water is treated across Scotland depends on where it has come from. Each water source will have unique characteristics and requires a tailored treatment process to ensure that it is safe to drink.
