New York’s drinking water is renowned for its quality. Every day in the Big Apple alone, one billion gallons of fresh, clean water is consumed from large upstate reservoirs, some more than 125 miles from the city.
But if you noticed your tap water tasting different in recent days, you’re not alone. The city reported that it shut down the Catskill Aqueduct for 15 weeks for a repair project and now relies on water from two other supply systems: the Delaware system and the Croton system.
The Department of Environmental Protection notes that this could change the odor or taste of the tap water, but it is only temporary and the liquid is completely safe to drink. The agency explained that the change in taste and odor is due to microscopic, harmless organic compounds generated as aquatic plants and microorganisms grow during the summer.
The water may have an earthy or musty taste, the department detailed, but this is a phenomenon that occurs this time of year.
New York City gets its drinking water from large reservoirs in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. And some New Yorkers may notice that the water smells earthy or musty during late fall and early winter. That change is caused by two naturally occurring organic compounds called MIB and geosmin. The compound MIB (short for methylisoborneol) is most prevalent in the state’s reservoirs.
