Bad tasting and smelling water in downtown Columbia is being fixed, official says
Columbia Water is taking action to improve the taste and smell of drinking water after several customers complained over the weekend, spokesman Robert Yanity said in a news release.
Customers in downtown Columbia said the water from their taps had an earthy taste and was musty, according to the release.
These sensory issues, which Yanity called “harmless,” are the result of elevated algae levels of Geosmin and 2-Methylisoborneol in the raw water. An increase in this production typically happens during the summer, Columbia Water says on its website.
While it’s not uncommon for these issues to occasionally affect water treated from Lake Murray, it is rare for them to impact the Columbia Canal Treatment Plant, according to the release
“It unfortunately has happened this weekend,” Yanity said.
To combat the stench and neutralize the bad taste Columbia Water is using activated carbon, according to the release.
If any unpleasant odors are detected in the filtered or finished water, the carbon dosage can be changed quickly to remove additional by-products that might be entering the plant, Columbia Water said about using the same process at the Lake Murray Treatment Plant.
“We realize, though, that this is a nuisance for our customers, and we are continuing to employ the treatment processes that have been in place since this taste and odor situation was first noticed a few weeks ago,” Yanity said. “Algae levels continue to rise and fall, but we will treat for it until we are convinced it is no longer a problem.”
Columbia Water also said customers who notice the unpleasant taste and smell can add lemon juice and chill water in the refrigerator to improve the quality.
For any customer with taste and odor problems that need immediate attention, call 803-535-3300.
“We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to resolve the issue,” Yanity said.
Columbia Water said it has more than 375,000 customers in the Midlands, and produces an average of 60 million gallons of water per day at the Columbia Canal and Lake Murray plants.
The canal plant went into operation in 1906, according to Columbia Water. The canal suffered approximately $42 million in damages during the historic flooding in 2015.
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