Residents of the Village of Swanton in northern Ohio have been complaining for weeks now about the taste and the smell of the water coming out of their taps. A continuous algae bloom is being blamed for the foul taste and odor.
Town officials say the water is safe to drink, but the smell and taste have proven to be off-putting to many residents, according to coverage on FoxToledo.com. Filters haven't fixed the problem. And restaurants are finding that even strongly brewed ice tea can't mask the taste. Fountain drinks are being sent back because they taste like dirt.
Restaurants report that they're selling more bottled water, and local sports teams have switched from tap to bottled, as well.
Fixing Swanton's water problem could prove costly.
The village has hired an engineering firm, Stantec, to offer solutions. The $4,600 cost will be paid through the water fund.
The company has suggested two different methods for aerating the village water supply to inhibit the algae growth.
"We're going to decide which of the options we're going to put into use," Administrator John Gochenour said. "We've heard our share of complaints about the water, and we're trying to fix it."
The procedure will cost $20,000 to $30,000 using rented equipment over two years. But the village may first have to get approval from the Environmental Protection Agency.
As water quality problems go, Swanton's is relatively minor: an unappetizing, inconvenient nuisance. But in many places, the water coming out of the tap is not safe.
Residents in Giles County, Va., were recently warned not to drink or cook with tap water or use it for dishwashing after an electrical power surge shut crippled the county's water treatment facilties.
Most people assume that their tap water is safe, but these types of water quality problems are scarily frequent occurences. A quick Google search proves just how common boil water advisories are.
Do you trust your tap water enough to stake your health on it?
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