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News
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June 2025: Toxic Pollutant Values have been updated making water safer. Read about it here: https://alabamarivers.org/toxic-criteria/
June 2025 Lake Watch newsletter: Check out all our news at this link:https://lakewatchoflakemartin.wildapricot.org/resources/LakeWatchNewsletter-June2025.pdf
Dadeville Water and Sewer - Taste and Odor Issues in Potable Water, 6/26/2024
As you may have heard in the news media, several water utilities across Alabama are currently experiencing a temporary issue with taste and odor. This is caused by geosmin, a naturally occurring substance found in rivers and lakes when temperatures and rainfall cause a change in the population of microbes in the raw water. At very low concentrations, humans can detect its presence, usually by an earthy smell or taste. Conventional water treatment processes are not very effective at removing geosmin when it occurs.
These taste and odor problems are not harmful, though they can make the water unpleasant to drink. With luck these conditions will be short-lived, and your water will return to normal in the coming days. In the meantime, some people have found that chilling the water or adding a few drops of lemon juice can reduce the taste.
Water systems conduct tests of its water daily, and results from certified drinking water laboratories are regularly uploaded to my Department for review. Should conditions change and a water safety issue becomes apparent, the water system would be required to notify the public in accordance with EPA requirements.
We apologize for the water quality issues that you and many Alabama residents are currently experiencing; please rest assured that your water provider and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management are doing all we can to ensure your water is safe to drink.