Thousands of Californians hit with foul-smelling tap water
The California Water Service is advising Stockton residents that the city’s tap water is safe to drink, despite the water emitting a foul smell that some describe as reeking of sewage.
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On Wednesday, Cal Water said in a statement that Stockton’s tap water met all water quality standards and was safe to consume. The agency said that the noticeable odor was a result of a recent change in the water source.
Residents were alarmed by the foul odor coming from home faucets earlier this week when dozens took to social media to discuss the issue, while others directed their concerns to Mayor Christina Fugazi’s office. Nearly 100 comments posted in the “Stockton — What’s Going On” Facebook group complained about the taste and smell of Stockton’s waters, with characterizations like “moldy dish water,” “vinegar” and a “fish tank.”
Craig Stevens, Cal Water’s Stockton district manager, told SFGATE that mixing water from two unique sources can sometimes cause a change in taste and odor that is “out of the ordinary for customers” due to a water’s “unique chemistry, organic content, minerals, and biological activity.” Cal Water and the city of Stockton are currently flushing the distribution system to remove water from the previous source and help the new source flow into home faucets.
“Customers are experiencing an earthy [odor], which is related to the organics in the surface water being treated and delivered from our purchase water supplier,” Stevens said. “… We’re already seeing improvements in the majority of the distribution system and expect a complete turnover by this weekend.”
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Cal Water serves Central Valley cities with about 47,700 service connections. The water odor issue is only affecting Stockton customers at this time, Stevens said. In the meantime, Cal Water recommends that locals refrigerate tap water to help reduce the smell.
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