Different water supplies have different tastes, depending on the blend of minerals in the water. Water with no minerals in it, such as distilled water, has a flat taste to it. People who become accustomed to a certain water supply from another area may think that the City's water tastes strange. Most of the time, the taste of the water is not an indicator of its safety to drink. Following are explanations for some tastes that you might experience in the water:

Musty/Earthy Taste

Surface waters, such as the State Water Supply, can sometimes be impacted by algal blooms. Some types of algae release compounds such as 2-methylisoborneal (MIB) or geosmin, which both have a musty or earthy taste and smell to them. These compounds are harmless, but can make the water taste and smell dirty. The City has actively worked with the Central Coast Water Authority, which treats the State Water, to find ways to reduce the incidences of these taste concerns. As a result, there are have been no noticeable taste problems from MIB and geosmin since 2007.

Chlorine Taste

When disinfection by chloramination is optimized, the added chemicals leave very little taste to the water. However, some people are more sensitive to certain tastes and odors than others. If you are particularly sensitive to the chlorine smell or taste, chill the water, or run it through a simple carbon filter to remove the taste and smell.

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