Constantly delivering tap water to 1.4 million people in the Bay Area requires a complex system of treatment plants, pipelines, storage tanks and reservoirs. We are always balancing our water supplies, operations and facilities keep water flowing to you.
Throughout the year, EBMUD may shift water sources from one reservoir to another or may change where water is treated to manage water supplies, adjust for customer water demands and to accommodate maintenance projects. These operational changes can result in customers noticing changes to the taste and smell of their tap water.
Regardless of reservoir source or operational adjustment, all customers receive high-quality drinking water that meets or surpasses all state and federal regulatory requirements. EBMUD's laboratory tests every day to ensure that water quality meets EPA and state standards.
Water tastes and smells:
- Chlorinous, bleachy, chemical, or medicinal tastes and smells can be caused by the addition of chloramine to the water by EBMUD, and by the interaction between chloramine and organic material in your plumbing system.
- Sulfurous, decayed, or sewage-like taste or smell can be a result of bacteria growing in your drain or bacteria growing in your water heater.
- Musty, moldy, or earthy taste or odor can be caused by certain organisms growing in the EBMUD's source water reservoirs. Commonly, warmer weather can cause algae blooms. Algae are filtered out during water treatment but can leave behind compounds that cause a musty or earthy taste or smell. Sometimes when EBMUD uses alternate water supplies, the different chemical makeup of the water may be noticeable to customers as well.
- EBMUD works very hard to avoid having these compounds reach our customers and treats the water from our local Bay Area reservoirs (Upper San Leandro and San Pablo) specifically to avoid this.
To help us investigate taste and smell issues in your tap water, call us at 1-866-403-2683 with the following information:
a. What is the location of the premises where the taste or odor occurred?
b. When did you first notice it?
c. Is the taste or smell in the hot or cold water, or both?
d. How would you describe it?
These answers will help us determine the cause of the taste or smell and will also suggest corrective steps to take. EBMUD Water System Inspectors respond to calls regarding taste and odor within one business day.