Your water may taste 'off' this time of year. Here's why
Have you ever noticed a musty, earthy taste or smell to your tap water in the late-summer and fall?
The water that comes out of your taps has to come from somewhere. In the Greater Toronto Area, that's Lake Ontario. But as summer heats up, so does the lake, and that could have an impact on how your tap water tastes and smells.
Unfortunately, this isn't a case of life handing you lemons for your water.
"So as you get towards late summer and early fall, the temperature in the lake also goes up, and there is naturally occurring bacteria that give off chemicals in very low quantities, but they are the ones that give off taste and odour," says the City of Toronto's Deputy General Manager, William Fernandes.
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That taste and odour can best be described as "musty" or "earthy."
The main chemical that is released is called "geosmin," and it's also the reason for that famous post-rainfall smell outside.
"It's not dangerous. It is very safe to drink tap water year round, even when you have taste and odour concerns," Fernandes states.
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The good news is that this can be a short-lived event, lasting only a week or two.
And if the taste is really bothering you, there are ways to make your tap water taste better in the meantime so you don't get dehydrated.
"Put a jug of water in the fridge, add a slice of lime, add some ice in it, and it'll be perfectly tasty."
Copyedited by Anika Beaudry, a digital journalist at The Weather Network.
Thumbnail image created using imagery from Canva Pro.