Why does the water taste funny in late summer?
The most commonly reported taste and odor problems in Oak Lawn result from two separate and distinct chemical reactions in the water itself. The first of these taste and odor problems is often described as “chlorine smell”. It is generally characterized as drinking water that smells like swimming pool water. Although counter-intuitive, the problem is not too much chlorine, but too little. The chlorine in the water is out of balance with the physical and chemical nature of the water. This results in the “strong” chlorine odor that is objectionable to customers. Typically, this problem disappears in a day or two. The second and most widely experienced problem is related to algae that grow in Lake Michigan. Simply stated, the chemical compounds geosmin and two methylisoborneal are introduced into the water by the proliferation of blue-green algae. This problem generally manifests itself during the warm summer months. Although the compounds are not harmful, the result is an earthy or musty
