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Friday, April 19, 2024
The taste and odor issues in Fort Worth’s water supply are showing substantial improvement following ozone treatment.
The high geosmin levels in the raw water blend, which were responsible for the earthy taste and odor, have come down substantially since late-January where they peaked at 864 nanograms per liter (ng/L). As of February 10, the raw water blend was 104 ng/L with the level of geosmin in the finished water delivered to customer taps down to 10 ng/L.
As the taste and odor of the water continues to improve, the Fort Worth Water Department offers continued assurance the water has always been safe for drinking, cooking, bathing and all other purposes.
The taste and odor issues in Fort Worth’s water supply persist, and the Fort Worth Water Department is doing all it can to try and alleviate the issue. The department has increased the dosing of ozone and has begun blending the water from Lake Benbrook with water from Cedar Creek Lake. Ozone is used to disinfect the drinking water, and it can help with resolving taste and odor issues, but not in all cases.
The naturally-occurring organic compound responsible for the earthy taste and odor is geosmin. Geosmin is produced by bacteria in soil and algae found in surface water. Cold temperatures kill off the algae in surface water, and the dead algae release the geosmin.
This week’s test results unfortunately indicate the geosmin count in Lake Benbrook has almost doubled from two weeks ago. It is now greater than 1,000 nanograms per liter (or parts per trillion). Tarrant Regional Water District indicates this is the highest levels seen in several years.
The Water Department assures customers the water is safe for drinking, cooking, bathing and all other purposes, even though it has an earthy smell and taste.
The issue became noticeable the week of January 6, 2014 when TRWD switched the water supply for the Rolling Hills and Westside water treatment plants to Lake Benbrook because of construction and maintenance on the pipeline from Richland-Chambers Reservoir. That pipeline is scheduled to be out of service through most of February.
Customers may improve the taste of their drinking water by:
· refrigerating the water in an open container; or
· adding a slice of lemon or lime.
The wholesale customers that regularly purchase water include Bethesda Water Supply Corp., Burleson, Crowley, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dalworthington Gardens, Edgecliff Village, Everman, Forest Hill, Grand Prairie, Haltom City, Haslet, Hurst, Keller, Kennedale, Lake Worth, Northlake, North Richland Hills, Richland Hills, Roanoke, Saginaw, Southlake, Trophy Club Municipal Utility District, Westlake, Westover Hills, Westworth Village and White Settlement.
FORT WORTH, Texas – The Fort Worth Water Department is experiencing changes in the taste and odor of the drinking water coming from the Rolling Hills and Westside water treatment plants. The Water Department assures customers the water is safe for drinking, cooking, bathing and all other purposes, even though it has an earthy smell and taste.
Last week, Tarrant Regional Water District switched the water supply for the treatment plants to Lake Benbrook because of maintenance on the pipeline from Richland-Chambers Reservoir. TRWD also had to shut down the line from Cedar Creek Lake last Friday because of a break on that line. In addition, water quality data from TRWD indicates the levels of geosmin have been steadily rising in recent months. This is a normal occurrence for this time of year. Cold temperatures kill off algae in surface water, and the dead algae release the geosmin.
In an attempt to try and resolve the issue, the department has increased the dosage of ozone at both treatment plants. Ozone is used to disinfect the drinking water, and it can help with resolving taste and odor issues, but not in all cases.
Geosmin is a naturally occurring compound produced by bacteria in soil and algae found in surface water. Cold temperatures kill off the algae in surface water, and the dead algae release the geosmin. Customers may improve the taste of their drinking water by:
The wholesale customers that regularly purchase water include Bethesda Water Supply Corp., Burleson, Crowley, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dalworthington Gardens, Edgecliff Village, Everman, Forest Hill, Grand Prairie, Haltom City, Haslet, Hurst , Keller, Kennedale, Lake Worth, Northlake, North Richland Hills, Richland Hills, Roanoke, Saginaw, Southlake, Trophy Club Municipal Utility District, Westlake, Westover Hills, Westworth Village and White
Settlement.
On Thursday, November 14, 2013, Arts Council Northeast will present Taste of Northeast, an annual charity event, with proceeds benefiting Arts Council Northeast and its community arts programs. Taste of Northeast will be held at the Hurst Conference Center, 1601 Campus Drive in Hurst, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Parking is free.
Bring your appetite and your holiday shopping list! There will be food from area restaurants, gift vendors, live entertainment, a raffle, wine pull and a silent auction. Taste of Northeast offers a great opportunity to shop for the holidays. Our many vendors will be offering specialty gift items that are sure to delight. We’ll tempt you with beautiful and unique jewelry, art, and clothing, along with gift certificates for pampering your favorite people. Shop while eating, drinking, and enjoying live music by Time Warp and BluPrint!
Tickets can be purchased online and are $25.00 in advance or $30.00 at the door. Arts Council Northeast members and Press Pass holders get a $5.00 discount off advance tickets. For a $5.00 discount at the door, bring three non-perishable food items for donation to the GRACE food pantry (discounts cannot be combined).
For more information, visit www.TasteOfNortheast.com or call (817) 283-3406.