Is your water tasting "earthy," Sacramentans? These organic compounds are to blame
SACRAMENTO – Tap water tasting or smelling a little different recently? The City of Sacramento says it's probably nothing to worry about.
City of Sacramento Utilities staff say around this time of year, late summer to early fall, they get a lot of calls from residents concerned about their tap water. Many people report an "earthy" taste and smell to the water.
As it turns out, organic compounds called "geosmin" are to blame.
Carlos Eliason, a spokesperson for City of Sacramento Utilities said the compound is very small, but just enough for people to notice.
"People can detect those super low quantities by as much as a few parts per this naturally occurring compound with about a billion parts per water, Eliason said.
These compounds have been accumulating, officials say, and some still remain even after going through filters and disinfectants.
"As summer turns into fall, naturally occurring organic materials accumulate in upstream reservoirs and in rivers — where we get most of our water from," said Mark Severeid, a Department of Utilities water quality superintendent, in a statement.
This is the same compound that causes that fresh, earthy smell after a good rain.
"People are really, really good at detecting it and smelling it in small quantities, like when we have rain storms a mile away and people will smell it," Eliason said.
The smell and taste are most noticeable during the changing of the seasons and may even last until we get several significant rains.
"We kind of start noticing it around September and it could go on until the temperatures really start to drop, so maybe November, probably by December we'd say people will likely not notice it," Eliason said.
About 80% of the City of Sacramento's drinking water comes from local rivers and the other 20% from groundwater.
People living in areas where their drinking water comes from the American River may notice the off taste and smell a little more than other residents.
"People that tend to live a little bit closer to the American River are going to notice this a little bit more. So it may not necessarily be a citywide issue, but our water distribution system is fairly complex so anyone may notice it at any time," Eliason said.
City officials stress that, despite the taste, the water is safe to drink. Residents are being advised to chill the water or add a lemon or lime to neutralize the taste.
Planned upgrades to the city's water treatment process should reduce the taste and smell in the future.
For any questions about your drinking water, you can always call the city at 311 or visit their website to learn more.