Some Raleigh Water customers have reported a "musty" smell and taste in their water

Some Raleigh Water customers have reported issues with a "musty smell or taste" in their water.

According to the City of Raleigh , the water is safe to drink and use. All the drinking water continues to pass all regulatory standards for safety.

This is a normal springtime occurrence, they said, and Raleigh Water is working to remove this taste and smell.

CAUSE OF SMELL AND ODOR

Falls Lake and Lake Benson supply Raleigh's water system.

Falls Lake is going through seasonal variations caused by factors, such as temperature and sunlight. This can lead to naturally occurring algae and algal activity.

Under certain environmental conditions, algae can release taste and odor compounds in water that can be noticed in customer's tap water.

These variations most commonly occur in the early spring and fall time.

NEXT STEPS

The City of Raleigh released a statement regarding the water:

"It is our goal to produce high-quality drinking water that is not only safe to drink but is aesthetically pleasing as well. We closely monitor our source water for algae and taste and odor compounds and utilize treatment techniques such as activated carbon adsorption and advanced oxidation by ozone to minimize the unpleasant taste and odors."

The city is using activated Carbon and Ozone to address "these aesthetic issues", but it may take a few days to distribute throughout the system.

In the meantime, customers can improve the taste of the water by adding a lemon wedge to the water.

Customers can also use a standard home water filtration system to help improve the taste and odor.