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Water’s bad taste, odor not harmful
By Josh Hixson, Staff Writer
How about a little algae secretion with that?
That is what Plano’s city water officials have been saying for about a month to all residents who call and complain about the funny taste and odor of their tap water.
“It definitely is something you can smell when you shower and something you can taste when you have a drink of water,” said Jim Foster, director of public works for the city of Plano.
Both are the product of an algal bloom that occurs in late July and August every year on area surface water and lasts for four to six weeks.
This year’s algae were especially prolific because extremely low water levels allowed vegetation to grow in normally water-covered areas. When water levels rose, the decaying plants provided the nutrients the alga needed to grow.
The two other factors that contribute to algal bloom are low turbidity (cloudiness of the water) and warmer temperatures, between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Not to worry, Foster said this algae-fungi combination is completely harmless to drink once it has been removed from the water.
“The water is perfectly safe to drink,” Foster said. “Even though the taste isn’t good, don’t become dehydrated. I am just thankful we have the water and we are no longer under drought conditions.”
While the algae are removed in the treatment process, the poor smell and bad taste are harder to eliminate.
To combat what the algae leaves behind, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) — Plano’s water supplier — has been treating the water with potassium permanganate and an oxidizing agent to reduce the smell. Activated carbon has also been used to lessen the taste. Each of the chemicals is removed before it hits the drinking water supply, according to Denise Hickey, a spokesperson for NTMWD.
Hickey said the water district is evaluating the potential use of ozone to further improve palatability.
“The district is reevaluating the use of ozone, the infrastructure required and the cost-analysis of it,” Hickey said.
Sid Slocum, DFW water section manager for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, said the commission doesn’t regulate the taste of water.
“Taste and odor aren’t regulated,” Slocum said. “The water is still safe to drink.”
Steve Long, water systems manger for NTMWD, said most people begin to notice a difference when the secretion reaches a concentration of 20 parts per trillion.
Long said the water district has sent samples of water to be tested so the exact concentration of the algae byproduct can be determined.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, there have been documented cases of blue-green algae toxins harming humans in parts of the world where the water is poorly treated. There have also been a few reports of livestock in Texas dying from drinking water contaminated with blue-green algae toxins.
Contact Josh Hixson at jhixson@acnpapers.com
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