New methods tried to fix bad tasting and smelling water in Columbia, officials say

As customers continue to complain about the taste and smell of drinking water, city officials said they are trying new methods to solve the problem.

While continuing to stress the issue affecting customers’ senses is harmless, Columbia Water said it is expanding its efforts to fix the earthy taste and musty flavor of the water coming from taps, especially in the downtown area.

The initial effort to combat the stench and neutralize the bad taste was using activated carbon, according to the release.

Columbia Water continues to add activated carbon, which acts like a sponge, to the treatment process, flushing numerous places in the city’s water distribution system, Yanity said.

On top of that, Columbia Water said it received approval from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to add copper sulfate to the treatment process. Copper sulfate is a chemical commonly used for addressing algae problems, and Columbia Water began adding it Monday, according to the release.

Columbia Water is also exploring the possibility of relocating its carbon feed system inside the treatment plant to expand the capacity for adding activated carbon, Yanity said.

“Although it is hard to determine the impact and timeline of these efforts right now, we do know that it takes 4-to-5 days for water treated at our canal plant to make its way completely through our distribution system,” Yanity said in the release. “We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of our efforts and adjust accordingly.”

The problem

The issues are the result of elevated algae levels of geosmin and 2-Methylisoborneol in the raw water. Geosmin is naturally occurring in the environment, and it’s what gives dirt and certain vegetables like beets their odor, Columbia Water spokesman Robert Yanity said in a news release.

While geosmin is not toxic, the human senses are incredibly sensitive to geosmin. It takes very low concentrations of the compounds to produce a change in how your water tastes or smells, according to Columbia 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 Columbia Water.

DHEC said an algal bloom in the Broad and Congaree rivers is to blame for the problems.

For customers

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.

This story was originally published June 8, 2022 at 9:32 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription