Harmless Algae Affecting Taste, Odor of Drinking Water 8/17/07

Some Holly Springs residents may notice that their drinking water has an earthy or musty taste and smell. The water is safe to drink, and taste and odor should improve within days.

Hot weather and drought have fostered the growth of algae that release compounds affecting taste and odor. Steps to reduce or eliminate those compounds have been taken at Harnett County's water treatment plant, which provides most of Holly Springs' drinking water.

"We talked to the state lab this morning," Charles Fiero, Water Resources Manager for Harnett County Public Utilities, said Friday. "They seem to be having a lot of calls right now about taste and odor problems throughout the state."

The earthy or musty smell is most noticeable when people first turn on the tap, Fiero said. The water isn't discolored, so customers needn't change how they wash clothes.

The staff at the Harnett County plant is boosting the amount of activated carbon and is aerating the water before treatment, forcing air through it to help break up compounds such as geosmin and MIB. But it can take several days for water to make its way from the Harnett County plant to homes throughout town.

If you have questions about Holly Springs' drinking water, contact Amy Moore, laboratory analyst for the Town's Public Utilities Department, at (919) 577-2273.

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Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us