Morro Bay’s drinking water is garnering complaints about smell and taste, as a bloom of blue-green algae is once again affecting the City’s drinking water. But don’t worry, the City says the water is safe to drink.
“The City is aware of complaints related to an odd smell and taste to the drinking water supply,” reads a notice the City posted on its website. “The water is perfectly safe to drink. Staff is providing information on the cause and tips to combat the smell and taste.”
State Water Project, which supplies drinking water to some 25 million people and sources the water out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, is the source of the problem. The project had this same problem last year.
“Drought and high temperatures are creating good conditions for blue-green algae blooms in the delta,” according to the City. “That algae is where that smell and taste are from. The water is being treated for drinking, but the odor and flavor remains.”
Not everyone is bothered by or can detect the smell and taste in the drinking water but if readers do detect the odors, the City said it can be further treated with a carbon filter attached to the tap, such as those manufactured by Brita or Pur. Both are available at hardware stores. “Chilling the water and adding lemon can also help,” the City said.
The City said the State has not yet fully announced the problem in all its service areas but has told the City they are working on the problem. Meanwhile, readers who want clean, pure water, can take containers to Culligan Water, Co., on Main Street which has a coin operated water dispenser in front of the store. Also, the Morro Bay Spirits liquor store at Monterey and Morro Bay Boulevard also has a coin-op machine.
And if readers are having trouble with the water and sewer rate hikes that went into effect in September, the City has a utilities discount program in place, designed to soften the burden for low income residents. The 10-percent discount on City bills equates to about $8 a month for an average customer, according to the City, while rates increased some 30%.
And rates will continue to increase every year through 2019, under the new water rate schedule passed by the City Council. Water rates hadn’t been increased in 20 years and the water department was having to dip into reserves to cover its payroll.
According to a City news release, “The increase — the first for water rates in 20 years — is intended to help ensure the City can do proper maintenance and upgrades of the community’s systems to ensure that safe, clean drinking water is provided and that wastewater is treated accordingly.”
Residents who qualify for PG&E’s Customer Care Program for low income residents can also qualify for the City’s discount program. For more information, see: www.morro-bay.ca.us/utilitydiscount.
