Area Water Providers Addressing Taste and Odor Issues with Long-Term Solutions
With short-term solutions limited, $40 million in ozone treatment is being added as part of the Lake Murray Water Treatment Plant expansion; Ozone specifically targets taste and odor causes
WEST COLUMBIA & LEXINGTON, SC, September 2024: Because taste and odor issues have resurfaced in the areas served by The City of West Columbia, the Town of Lexington, and the Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission (JMWSC), the three providers are supplying an update on their collective efforts to address the taste and odor issues that have increased in recent years.
High temperatures, heavier rainfalls, and surging runoff entering Lake Murray have been causing algal blooms with greater frequency, including over the last few weeks. While the blooms do not impact drinking water safety – the water remains safe to drink – they can cause unpleasant changes to the taste and odor of the water.
The current water treatment process is being used to try and lessen the issues, however, there are limits to its effectiveness. One step consumers can take to help reduce taste and odor is to pour their tap water into a pitcher and refrigerate it overnight.
Since 2020, West Columbia, Lexington, and JMWSC have studied a variety of solutions, while collaborating with the University of South Carolina and the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) to share water quality, soil sample, and temperature data.
The solutions developed through this work are being incorporated into the Lake Murray Water Treatment Plant expansion. Several improvements will be added to the treatment process, including the $40 million-dollar addition of ozonation to specifically target the causes of taste and odor issues.
Ozone kills disease-causing bacteria and viruses while oxidizing naturally occurring contaminants including iron, manganese, geosmin, and methylisoborneol (MIB) – the main causes of the taste and odor issues – so they can be easily filtered out. Once in operation, the Lake Murray facility will be one of five in the state — and the only one in the Midlands — to use the ozone technology.
In addition to this release, the area’s water providers will continue to provide updates on the efforts being taken to address the problem, including the construction of the Lake Murray plant.
Customer Care lines are as follows—
City of West Columbia: 803.791.1880
Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission: 803.359.8373
Town of Lexington: 803.359.2434
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***Media inquiries should be directed to 803.309.8638 or ahuffman@westcolumbiasc.gov.