Akron Water Woes Recede, Tests Indicate: Algae Byproduct Levels Lower; Some Notice Taste, Odor Better
Posted on: Wednesday, 18 January 2006, 09:00 CST
By Bob Downing, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio
Jan. 18--The latest test results on Akron's drinking water show lower levels of an algae byproduct that has caused odor and taste problems for seven weeks.
The levels of gaseous methylisoborneol (MIB) dropped to 120 parts per trillion in water going into the city's treatment plant from Lake Rockwell, said Michael McGlinchy, head of Akron's Public Utilities Bureau.
MIB levels dropped to 68 parts per trillion in the treated water leaving the plant and heading to 300,000 water customers in Akron and surrounding communities, he said.
Earlier tests showed MIB levels of 250 and 150 in the raw water from the reservoir on the Cuyahoga River north of Kent and 260 and 160 in the treated water, he said.
The result has been drinking water with a stinky, musty, earthy smell and taste since early December.
MIBs at levels of four to 10 parts per trillion can cause odor and taste problems that will be noticeable to some people.
McGlinchy said the city also tested water in the distribution system for the first time and found MIB levels of 110 parts per trillion from the Jan. 10 samples.
"The new numbers are encouraging... and it looks like we're starting to make a dent in it," he said. "We're pleased by what the data shows."
People attending Akron ward meetings have told city officials that the water in recent days has been "better or not as bad," he said.
The city has altered its treatment method by adding powdered activated carbon earlier in the process to give the carbon more time to absorb the MIBs, he said.
The plant also curtailed its use of potassium permanganate and chlorine dioxide, which are usually added at the beginning of the process. McGlinchy said the city is instead adding sodium hypochloride later in the treatment.
In addition, acting on advice from water experts across the country, the city on Tuesday switched from treating the water with bituminous carbon to a softer lignite carbon.
That should continue to lower MIBs to a level where they are not a problem, McGlinchy said.
The city is hoping that the raw water -- the water going into the plant -- will improve and that the city's treatment methods will remove a larger percentage of the MIBs, he said.
The city is also hoping to apply chemicals to Lake Rockwell, once the ice cover on the reservoir clears, to reduce the blue-green algae that are producing the MIB, he said.
What triggered the unusual winter algae outbreak in Lake Rockwell remains unclear.
Officials said the water -- about 38 million gallons a day -- is safe to drink and meets all federal and state requirements.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com
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Source: Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)
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