There’s been a lot of water cooler talk that Canberra’s much-loved tap water has been tasting a bit different lately, with some locals suggesting the once award-winning drop now tastes earthy or musty.
CW caught up with Benjamin Bryant, Icon Water manager environment and sustainability, to find out more about what has been going on.
First and foremost, Mr Bryant wanted to reassure Canberrans the tap water remains completely safe to drink. The team at Icon Water have done all the tests to rule out water-based nasties like blue-green algae in the Bendora reservoir in the Cotter catchment and found the earthy taste is being caused by a naturally occurring compound.
Called 2-Metholisoberneol or MIB, it is an organic compound that is often found in water supplies across the country. In this case, its occurrence is a natural event that isn’t unknown, however, it doesn’t usually happen at this time of year.
“MIB can come from many natural sources and this current change is occurring due to a natural event. We think it’s come from water mixing in the reservoir, stirred up deep down in the depths of the water stirred up the sediment,” Mr Bryant said.
One of the rumours doing the rounds is that the different taste is due to a change in water supplies. Mr Bryant wasn’t sure where this theory had come from, confirming the water continues to be from the Bendora reservoir in the Cotter catchment, the most typically used water supply in the ACT.
Some online forum users have speculated the taste will go away within a couple of weeks, even saying they had spoken to someone from Icon Water about it. However, Mr Byrant said the natural occurrence isn’t something that can be given a definite end date.
“We’re working with nature here which makes it really hard to give a timeline for when it will reduce naturally.”
Not everyone has noticed the change in taste. Mr Bryant said some people have a palate which is sensitive to the MIB compound, meaning they can smell and taste it at low levels, and it is often found in rural water and drinking supplies.
“It only causes an aesthetic change; the water continues to be safe to drink and continues to be well within the parameters of the Australian guidelines,” he said.
If you are one of the people who are bothered by the taste, there are a few ways you can conceal the earthy taste. Mr Bryant suggested adding natural flavours like lemon or mint, placing the water in a jug in the fridge for a while before drinking, or using a carbon filter.
“We are very lucky here in Canberra; we are gifted with such a great resource,” he said.
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