Potential for “earthy” water taste and odor explained

TYLER — As of Thursday, Jan. 20, the ozone treatment system at Tyler’s Lake Palestine Water Treatment Plant has been offline due to a failure with the main control panel. Tyler Water Utilities has ordered a replacement panel but has not received an estimated delivery date, according to a news release. Officials say the ozone treatment system cannot be operated until the control panel is replaced. Due to this portion of the taste and odor treatment system being offline, consumers may experience a spike in geosmin, a taste and odor compound, coming from Lake Palestine to the Lake Palestine Water Treatment Plant. Officials say geosmin is non-toxic and safe to consume. It typically produces an earthy odor and is naturally present in some foods such as beets, spinach, and mushrooms.

TWU staff will be feeding the maximum amount of powdered activated carbon (PAC) at the Lake Palestine Water Treatment Plant to minimize the potential for any noticeable impact, according to the news release. While the Lake Palestine WTP is typically able to remove upwards of 95% of the geosmin compound between the raw water sample and the treated samples, geosmin is detectable by humans at a very low taste and odor threshold, which is why it is treated year-round. Customers experiencing a strong “earthy” taste and odor in their water can contact the Water Service Center at (903) 531-1285 to report their location.