Funky Fort Worth water could use a slice of lemon

Pass the lemon, please.

Because of a temporary switch to a new water pipeline, officials are recommending that a slice of lemon or lime be added to drinking water to mask possible “taste and odor issues.”

Refrigerating the water can help too.

“It is not definitive that customers will notice an issue,” said Mary Gugliuzza, communications coordinator for the city’s water department. But she said some areas of town — namely south, southwest, central and east — are more likely to experience an earthy smell and taste in their water.

On Monday, Fort Worth’s Rolling Hills Water Treatment Plant began getting its water from Cedar Creek Lake and Lake Benbrook, which is presenting challenges because Benbrook contains high levels of geosmin, an organic compound most notably found in damp soil and beets.

In an effort to kill the funky taste and smell, workers have increased the amount of ozone used to treat the water at Rolling Hills. That process, however, is not always successful.

While it may smell and taste bad, the water is safe to use and drink, officials said.

Rolling Hills normally gets its water from the Richland-Chambers Reservoir, but routine maintenance on that pipeline by the Tarrant Regional Water District is expected to take two weeks to complete.

“This is out of our control. TRWD switched our water sources,” said Gugliuzza, adding that water customers won’t get a discount on their bill to buy lemons, despite calls for it on social media.

On the Star-Telegram Facebook page, one commenter said, “How about a credit on my water bill for your screw up and for having to buy lemons?”

Some other towns that buy their water from Fort Worth could also be affected, including Burleson, Haltom City, Hurst, North Richland Hill, Keller, Westover Hills, Everman and Crowley “to name a few,” Gugliuzza said.

This story was originally published March 2, 2015 at 1:35 PM with the headline "Funky Fort Worth water could use a slice of lemon."