With chemical disinfection, such as chlorination, the taste and odor of your water will change (depending on chlorine levels water can smell and taste of bleach) and disinfection by-products will be produced. A few examples of chemical disinfection by-products (DBP) are trihalomethanes and haloacetic acid. Both of these DBP's can be carcinogenic when ingested at high levels. The pH and conductivity of drinking water also changes when chlorine is added. UV is a physical type of disinfection.

There are a variety of factors that can impact the taste or smell of tap water but not change the quality of the water. In Charleston Water System's case, algae in our surface water, when put through the treatment process, can give off harmless compounds that may cause the water to taste earthy or musty. In most cases, taste and odor is a purely aesthetic concern, and is not a reliable indicator of water quality.

If you notice your water tastes or smells differently than it normally does, please contact your local water department or supplier.

Contact the Utilities Department at 925-0951, ext. 7270 and we will arrange for a customer service representative to contact you regarding the problem.

To be absolutely sure that disinfection is maintained throughout the water mains, small amounts of chlorine are allowed to stay in the water supplied to your tap. This may result in an occasional slight smell of chlorine when you turn your tap on or a slight taste of chlorine in the water. A good, safe way to overcome this smell or taste is to place a covered jug of water in the fridge before drinking - cool water always tastes better, but throw away any unused water after 24 hours.

We may disinfect your water to ensure that it is free of harmful bacteria if there is a history of presence of bacteria or because your water supply has a treatment unit in place. To reduce any chlorine taste or smell, try refrigerating your water before drinking.

Our Water Quality Assurance Lab will be able to address any of your concerns about an odor in your water. The number is 645-7691.

The conditions are of an aesthetic, not health, nature. Please contact your water supplier if you are experiencing these conditions. Water systems in Nassau County can usually resolve these conditions in a short period of time.

Odor tests are performed a minimum of once a month on both the Missouri River water and on tap water. We also have a special device in the lab which we use to monitor the odor of the tap water on a 24-hour basis. The only time the taste of the water is checked is if there has been a complaint about the taste by a customer. We then will obtain a sample of that water and check its taste. During spring runoff, we check odor daily or as often as necessary.

All water has its own unique taste and odor characteristics. Boyd like many other water suppliers, occasionally experiences taste and odor changes. Algae, temperature changes, excessive rain or lack thereof are all constituents that can the alter taste and smell of the water. These changes do not affect the safety of the water.

The best thing to do is place a pitcher of water in your refrigerator. As the temperature of the water goes down, the small amount of chlorine in the water will turn to gas and leave the water. Besides, there is nothing like cold water when you are thirsty.

The lack of hardness in your water is altering the taste of the water. If you find that you want to change the taste of your drinking water to eliminate this taste, we recommend a Reverse Osmosis system.

Essentia’s proprietary process “Ionic Separation” produces “thinner” water, also referred to as structured or clustered water. This process removes most of the acidic ions in the water, resulting in a smoother, sweeter tasting water with no harsh, mineral aftertaste.

Water may have an undesirable taste or smell if it has been stagnant in household plumbing too long. A 3 X 7 flush should alleviate the taste and odor issues. Should the undesirable properties persist, decide if a particular faucet is at fault. Sometimes point of use equipment, water softeners, water heaters, or in-line filters, can be the cause of strange tastes or smells.

Our Water Quality Assurance Lab will be able to assist you with concerns about the taste of your water. The number is 645-7691

Any one of the following could cause people to notice a slight smell or a taste or a change in the smell or taste of their drinking water:

A common remark regarding the taste of ionized alkaline water is that it tastes smoother and more delicious than conventional water. This is due to the smaller size of the molecular clusters. It also makes better coffee, tea and juice, and is excellent for cooking because it helps hydrate the food and bring out its flavor. n addition, ionized alkaline water does not make you feel bloated even if you drink a lot of it at once, compared with regular water.

The California Department of Health requires the District to maintain a certain level of chlorine in the water to ensure that it remains bacteria free. This amount of chlorine is not harmful to people.

Odor Genie Eliminates unwanted odors. It does not mask odors, does not emit odors and does not mask unwanted smells. Just ask the Odor Genie to zap scents like vomit, urine (even cat urine!), fish, mildew, sewer, feces, garbage, ammonia or any organic odor.

Odor Genie is a natural crystalline mineral that eliminates odors through a process called Cation Exchange Capacity or "CEC." Odor Genie has a super negative ion charge. Organic odors such as the ones listed above have a strong positive charge. As the old saying goes, "Opposites attract," and that's a fact! When Odor Genie is released from its bottle or bag, it immediately begins to attract positively charged ions.