Important Information Regarding the Taste and Odor of Your Drinking Water
Dear valued Customer,
You may have recently noticed an earthy, musty, or muddy taste or smell when turning on your tap. We want to explain why this is happening, assure you about your water quality, and share what we are doing to address it.
What Is Causing the Taste and Odor?
The change in taste and smell is due to a natural, seasonal algal bloom in our source water lake. When algae reproduce in warm, sunlit water, they release two naturally occurring organic compounds:
- Geosmin
- 2-Methylisoborneol (MIB)
Human senses are exceptionally sensitive to these compounds. Most people can detect Geosmin and MIB at extremely low levels—as low as a few parts per trillion (equivalent to a single grain of sugar in an Olympic-sized swimming pool).
Is the Water Safe to Drink?
Yes, absolutely.
- 100% Safe: Geosmin and MIB are completely harmless and pose no health risk.
- Regulated Quality: Your drinking water continues to meet or exceed all federal and state drinking water safety standards.
This issue is strictly aesthetic (affecting taste and odor) and does not affect the safety or biological purity of the water.
What We Are Doing
Our water treatment team is actively taking steps to minimize these aesthetic impacts:
- Optimizing our treatment processes to reduce compound levels before water leaves the plant.
- Continuously testing and monitoring water quality at the source lake and throughout our distribution system.
Because these compounds are aesthetic, taste and odor levels may fluctuate depending on weather conditions, lake temperatures, and water usage in your neighborhood.
Helpful Tips for Home
If you find the taste or odor objectionable, here are a few quick ways to improve your drinking experience while the bloom subsides:
- Chill your water: Storing tap water in a clean pitcher in the refrigerator significantly reduces the earthy odor and improves taste.
- Add lemon or fruit: A slice of lemon, lime, or cucumber masks subtle earthy notes.
- Use a carbon pitcher filter: Standard activated carbon filters (such as Brita or PUR) effectively reduce Geosmin and MIB.
Contact Us
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this seasonal natural occurrence. If you have further questions or concerns, please contact us.