Spring Thaw Alters Taste, Color and Odor of Water

Each spring the Missouri River rises due to the snow melt and rainfall upstream. This water has reached the Kansas City area and is altering the taste, color and odor of tap water. Per the Laboratory Manager of the Kansas City Water Services Department, this change in no way indicates any need for concern about the safety of our drinking water. The utility performs extensive testing every day at the treatment plant and throughout the distribution system that includes taste, color and odor monitoring. The purification process has the flexibility to adjust to changing river conditions by adding chemicals to reduce the taste, color and odor levels. Nevertheless some customers have noticed the taste and odor change. This condition should not last more than a week. Customers that live near or at the end of a water main may notice this condition longer than those that are located on a loop. I attended a meeting of the wholesale customers in Kansas City last week where I asked for a more thorough explanation. The algae that dies in the winter emits two chemicals that become trapped in the ice and snow and are released during the spring thaw causing this condition. We have been assured that these chemicals are harmless by the Laboratory Manager.