![]() There are moves afoot to stop this happening in the future. Is this going to happen every time we have a lot of rain? ![]() "Some water filters that contain activated carbon will be able to reduce these compounds somewhat, but it depends on how well the removal capacity is still in these filters," Professor Keller says. Social media users have suggested adding lime cordial or just drinking gin instead (not recommended for children). It also says to try adding a slice of lemon or another fruit. Seqwater suggests cooling it down, though some on social media say this just makes it taste like "chilled mud". Seqwater suggests chilling the water to mask the taste. "Seqwater is taking steps to reduce the change as much as possible, by moving water around the SEQ Water Grid and making additional releases from Wivenhoe Dam. In a matter of weeks, says Seqwater, which is moving water around the south-east Queensland water grid. "Drinking water is constantly monitored and continues to meet the stringent health requirements of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines." When will this nightmare end? ![]() "Both MIB and Geosmin are safe to drink and are not harmful," Seqwater said in a statement. It may taste like the dank stuff at the bottom of your vegetable crisper, but it's not going to hurt you. ![]() "They are not dangerous either, and in many ways similar to the tannins we have typically in some rivers or lakes which have catchments with high vegetation cover, for example Noosa River or Brown Lake on Straddie." Is the water safe to drink? "But they do not cause the taste or smell, they just cause that brownish colour in the water. "If there is a tinge of colour in the water as well, then that may be caused by other compounds, like humic substances, that do actually originate from organic/plant matter breaking down, and hence more 'dirt-like' substances," Professor Keller explains. So why are some people reporting dirty-looking water to go along with the bad taste? "They are actually produced by algae and/or photosynthetic bacteria, which is why they tend to be more prevalent during summer with more sunlight and higher water temperatures." "These compounds are not 'dirt' and don't come from dirt either. The bad taste could be here for a few more weeks. ![]() "The actual sensory response is that earthy smell." So is the water dirty? Those conditions have led to an increase in two naturally occurring organic compounds, MIB and Geosmin, in the raw water supply entering the Mount Crosby Water Treatment Plant.Īnd those compounds cause the earthy taste.Įmeritus Professor Jurg Keller of the University of Queensland's Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology says: "These are compounds that create naturally a strong sensory response in our noses/palates even at very low concentrations (typically only a few nanograms). Or more specifically, "recent weather conditions, including rainfall followed by warm temperatures, high levels of sunlight, and calm waters," according to Seqwater, Queensland's bulk water supply authority. Residents in parts of Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan and Redland City have reported awful-tasting water in recent weeks. So what's going on? Why does Brisbane water taste like dirt right now?Īs disgraced pop sensation Milli Vanilli once crooned: "blame it on the rain". Others describe it as tasting "muddy", "mouldy", "mildewy" and "bloody disgusting". "It's just awful! Haven't had a decent cup of tea in the last two weeks," said Itsy. "Tastes like crap," wrote another poster. This comment from Anabell on a Brisbane community Facebook page sums up how many are feeling about the city's water at the moment. "I've been staunchly anti-bottle my whole life … But… This…. ![]()
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