What is the cause of taste and odor in my drinking water?

Hot South Texas summer weather results in a rapid algae growth in our surface water reservoirs. As the algae decay, they release taste and odor compounds. The Mansfield Water Treatment Plant replaced the anthracite coal filter media with Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) in the plant expansion of 1999. As a result, the tastes and odor nuisance was greatly reduced.

However, there are times of the year when the algae growths can exceed the GAC's ability to remove the tastes and odors completely. In as much as the problem of taste and odor may be apparent in the water, the water is safe to drink.

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1. Why does my water seem cloudy?
2. Why does chilled tap water taste better than water straight from the tap?
3. Does Mansfield have hard water?
4. Is my water safer with water purification devices?
5. What is causing the staining of my plumbing fixtures?
6. Where does our water come from?
7. What is the cause of taste and odor in my drinking water?
8. How are our fresh water drinking zones protected?