Some City of Gainesville water customers in the South Hall area are dealing with "taste and odor" issues, according to a posting on the city's Water Resources Department's Facebook page.
"The reports are the water has an 'earthy' taste and odor," the posting reads. "This is an aesthetic issue and not a health issue. We test the water at every step of the treatment process, and all of the results indicate that the water is safe to drink and for all other uses."
And, it's not that uncommon an occurrence this time of the year.
"During this time of year, Lake Lanier can experience a 'Lake Turnover.' During these events, which are prompted by a change in the air temperature, the lake experiences an inversion of the surface water and deeper water. This can cause a taste/odor event."
The posting emphasizes that city officials are aware of the issue and, as a result, are "optimizing the treatment processes at our Lakeside Water Treatment plant to combat this. For example, we are increasing the frequency of our filter washes. We are also optimizing our chemical treatment processes as much as possible to improve the situation. The taste and odor issue will pass soon, as the inversion of the surface water is complete."
