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There are basically
two causes of taste and associated odor problems.
They are:
- A problem with Lake Oswego source water.
- An interaction of disinfection agents with a build-up
of organic material in your homes plumbing system.
The first step to identifying and solving the problem is to
determine whether the problem exists in the City's water supply
or in your plumbing. If the problem occurs in only one or several,
but not all, of the water faucets inside your home or business,
the cause is somewhere in your plumbing system. If the problem
is in the water supply, it will occur at every water faucet on
the property. If the problem goes away after running the water
for a few minutes, the cause is somewhere in your plumbing system.
If the problem is in the water supply, it will not disappear
after a few minutes of running the water. If the problem is at
every faucet on the property and does not disappear after running
the water for a few minutes, then the only way to determine the
cause is by checking the water supply to the property.
To check the water supply, take a clean glass and go to the
water faucet (hose bib) at the front of your house, apartment,
or business. This faucet is usually near the main water shut-off
valve for the property (commonly called the wheel valve). Turn
the water on wide-open and run it for a full two minutes. Check
your watch; two minutes is a long time. After two minutes, disconnect
the water hose if there is one attached, and sample the water;
never drink water that has traveled through a garden hose. With
the passage of stricter water quality standards over the last
several years, the City of Lake Oswego must add more chlorine
to the water. The average person will likely be able to detect
a slight to moderate chlorinous taste and odor in the water served
to most parts of Lake Oswego.
If the taste or odor seems overpowering or bleachy at the
front tap, contact the
Water Treatment Plant. If the water is much better
at the front faucet than at faucets inside your property,
you should flush your plumbing
system.
Sulfurous (rotten egg-like), decayed,
or sewage-like taste or odor in the water
There are two common causes of a sulfurous, decayed, or
sewage-like taste or odor in the water: bacteria growing in
your drain or bacteria growing in your water heater. By far,
the most common cause of this type of problem is the drain.
Over time organic matter (such as hair, soap, and food waste)
can accumulate on the walls of the drain. Bacteria can grow
on these organic deposits. As the bacteria grow and multiply,
they produce gases which often smell like rotten eggs or sewage.
These gases accumulate in the drain until you turn the water
on. As the water runs down the drain, the gases are expelled
into the air around the sink. It is natural to assume the
bad odor is coming from the water because you only smell it
when you turn the water on. However there is nothing wrong
with the water, you just need to disinfect
the drain.
Another cause of a rotten egg or sewage smell in the water
is bacteria growing in the water heater. This is most likely
to occur if the hot water has been unused for a significant
period of time, if the water heater has been turned off for
a while, or if the thermostat on the heater is set too low.
The bacteria that produce this problem are not a health threat;
however, the taste and odor can be very unpleasant. This
problem can be solved by heat
disinfection of the water heater.
Musty, moldy, or earthy taste or
odor in the water
There are two common causes of a musty, moldy, or earthy
taste or odor in the water: bacteria growing in your drain,
or certain types of organisms growing in the City's water
supply. By far, the most common cause of this type of problem
is the drain. Over time organic matter (such as hair, soap,
and food waste) can accumulate on the walls of the drain.
Bacteria can grow on these organic deposits. As the bacteria
grow and multiply, they produce gases which can smell musty
or moldy. These gases accumulate in the drain until you turn
the water on. As the water runs down the drain, the gases
are expelled into the air around the sink. It is natural
to assume the bad odor is coming from the water because you
only smell it when you turn the water on. However, there
is nothing wrong with the water, you just need to disinfect
the drain.
The other cause of this type of taste or odor in the water
is much less common and results from certain types of algae,
fungi, and bacteria growing in the water supply. As these
organisms grow and multiply, they excrete small amounts of
harmless chemicals into the water that cause a musty, moldy,
or earthy taste and odor. The two most common chemicals are
geosmin and methylisoborneal (MIB). Although these chemicals
are harmless, the human senses of taste and smell are extremely
sensitive to them and can detect them in the water at concentrations
as low as 5 parts per trillion (nanograms per liter). Since
1995, the City and its water provider partners on the Clackamas
River have participated with the United
States Geological Service in a comprehensive program
of monitoring for the presence of these and other organisms. Once
geosmin and/or MIB are detected, adjustments to the City's
treatment processes and the addition of activated carbon
can reduce or eliminate the earthy, musty tastes and odors
caused by these naturally occurring materials.
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