Manatee County assures earthy tasting drinking water is safe to consume, despite concern - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Manatee County assures musty tasting drinking water is safe to consume

Manatee County assures earthy tasting drinking water is safe to consume, despite concern
Jesse Mendoza

Manatee County is assuring local residents that an earthy, musty, taste in drinking water caused by an algal bloom in Lake Manatee is safe to consume, despite ongoing concern by environmental advocates.

The county announced last week that a blue-green algal bloom in Lake Manatee has caused residents to receive odd-tasting drinking water, although Manatee officials say the water is safe to drink.

Environmental advocates called the situation "yet another blue-green algal bloom in an ongoing series of ecological hits to local water quality." In a press release issued last week, they contend that the drinking water could still be harmful, despite reassurances by Manatee County.

"Though officials from the Manatee County Utilities Department have stated that the drinking water is not harmful, it is crucial to remember that there is currently no Safe Drinking Water Act limit for the cyanotoxins produced by blue-green algae," Suncoast Waterkeeper Director Abbey Tyrna wrote in a news release.

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"So while the water may not be 'harmful' to drink from a regulatory perspective, we have no idea whether the water is harmful according to health standards," she said.

In response, Manatee County announced the results of independent drinking water quality testing on Tuesday by GreenWater Laboratories that confirm the ongoing blue-green algal bloom at Lake Manatee has not produced algal toxins.

"The county would like to assure the public that the compound responsible for the taste and odor is identified as geosmin, and it is not an algal toxin," Manatee County spokesman Bill Logan said Tuesday in a news release.

The county is using a drinking water treatment process that includes the use of powdered activated carbon to mitigate the geosmin levels, but Manatee County residents may still experience an earthy, musty taste or odor for most of our residents. The county emphasizes that the water remains completely safe for consumption.

"While certain blue-green algae can produce toxins, it is important to note that not all blue-green algae blooms are toxic," he said. "Rigorous independent testing by GreenWater Laboratories has been conducted during this bloom for a variety of cyanotoxins, and none have been detected in the drinking water."