Columbia Water is continuing its efforts to address the taste and odor issue that is affecting customers served by its Canal Water Treatment Plant. The musty taste and odor is harmless. It is caused by geosmin, which is produced from algae in water and is naturally occurring in the environment. It is what gives dirt and certain vegetables like beets their odor.
We continue to add activated carbon, which acts like a sponge, to the treatment process. We are also flushing in numerous places throughout our water distribution system. In addition, we received approval from DHEC yesterday, June 6, to add copper sulfate to the treatment process. Copper sulfate is a chemical commonly used for addressing algae problems, and we began adding it yesterday. We are also exploring the possibility of relocating our carbon feed system within the treatment plant to expand the capacity for adding activated carbon.
Although it is hard to determine the impact and timeline of these efforts right now, we do know that it takes 4-to-5 days for water treated at our canal plant to make its way completely through our distribution system. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of our efforts and adjust accordingly.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to resolve the issue. To learn more about the issue and how we are treating it, please visit our web page at https://columbiascwater.net/geosmin-and-mib/.