Halifax Water is investigating after a Bedford, N.S., homeowner says she burned her throat after taking a gulp of her own tap water Wednesday afternoon.

"It was a horrible, horrible sensation," Muffy Price said. "The only thing I can equate it to is bleach."

Price lives near Central Street, where new water mains have been installed by Dexter Construction.

The new lines must be disinfected before being used, Halifax Water told CBC News Thursday.

Disinfectant slipped through

But those lines are supposed to be isolated from the rest of the system while the procedure is done, water services director Reid Campbell said.

"There was some inadvertent connection between the part being disinfected and the water main that was still in service, perhaps through a valve," he said.

That valve may have leaked or been left open by mistake, Campbell said, but now that the procedure is completed, the chlorine levels should dissipate.

Company apologized

Price said officials with Dexter Construction apologized to her, and dropped off some cases of bottled water. The company told her it is also investigating the incident, she said.

The utility said Price was the only homeowner who complained.

It said she should have no lasting health effects from the experience because even the disinfection levels of chlorine are within Health Canada guidelines.