Bay Area Residents Report a Strange Taste in Their Tap Water — but Officials Say There’s an Explanation
Sometimes tap water can taste a little different than usual due to various reasons. Factors like algae growth, temperature changes, or changes in the source of water can cause the taste to change. However, it usually doesn’t mean that the water is unsafe to drink. In one such incident, residents living in the San Francisco Bay Area have recently noticed something unusual with their tap water. Many of them reported that the water tastes a little different. While the local authorities have assured the public that the change is completely normal and there’s nothing to worry about, it has definitely sparked concern about water safety measures in the region.
One Reddit user, u/diqster, took to the social media platform and wrote, “My wife and I both noticed that our water tastes different today. We're in Lamorinda, and I'm guessing that EBMUD changed over to a different water source?” Responding to this, another person, u/Loud-Swimmer4534, commented, “I thought I was going crazy! I definitely noticed [the difference] and had planned to change my water filter. Water doesn’t taste as good now.” Many others in the comment section and on various social media platforms voiced similar concerns.
However, the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which serves around 1.4 million residents, claimed that the recent change in tap water taste is likely due to normal seasonal shifts in the water supply sources, as reported by SFGate. The utility district spokesperson, Andrea Pook, also said that the residents in areas like Piedmont, Oakland, Alameda, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Castro Valley, and Hayward might feel the change in the taste of water. It is because the district is mixing more local water supplies with the Pardee Reservoir source from the Mokelumne River.
Pook said, “In the southern part of our service area in particular, the water is moving a little bit differently through the system. We’re pulling a little bit more from local reservoirs and local water treatment plants.” She added, “The water is just made up of different constituents, different minerals, so it tastes different. Some people notice it, some people don’t.” She went on to explain that these source changes happen quite often as part of operations. The utility keeps adjusting where the water comes from, depending on the level of supply and demand.
For example, in winter, when people use relatively less water, the system may draw from different treatment plants. However, the change is not always seasonal; sometimes the source also changes when a facility is being repaired or under maintenance, but that isn’t the case this time. According to the utility district’s official website, it operates around six treatment plants that process over 375 million gallons of water every day. After knowing the reason, a Reddit user, u/bashfuleve, said, “My wife and I have been complaining to each other about the flabbiness of the water for the last month or so. Figured I might see something about it on here eventually. Thanks for the info!”
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