Stinky and bad tasting water in Northern Colorado city caused by algae bloom
Some Northern Colorado residents are noticing musty-smelling and metallic-tasting tap water after an algae bloom affected a portion of Greeley's water source.
Weeks of temperatures in the 90s and near 100 degrees created ideal conditions for algae to rapidly grow in Boyd Lake and Lake Loveland.
"Algae likes nutrients, sunlight, and warm water for its ideal growing conditions," said Sean Chambers, director of Greeley's Water and Sewer Department.
The algae bloom has made it more difficult for the city's treatment process to remove taste and odor from the water.
"We ran into a challenge with being able to keep up with the decaying algae, and so there is a musty or metallic taste and odor in the water that we've been working over the last few days to get caught up and eliminate," Chambers said.
City officials said the issue is primarily affecting customers who live or work west of 35th Avenue. Those areas receive water supplied from Boyd Lake and Lake Loveland, while the rest of the city is served by water from the Poudre River.
"Those parts of the city are receiving a lower taste water than this part of the city," Chambers said.
Chambers said low water levels at Boyd Lake have prevented the city from using its oxygenation pretreatment system, adding Lake Loveland does not have that capability. Instead, officials are relying on activated carbon to treat the water. But, the system has struggled to keep pace with the decaying algae. As a result, about half of Greeley customers have experienced changes in the taste and smell of their tap water.
"We've fielded about 200 phone calls," Chambers said.
Despite the unpleasant taste and odor, Chambers emphasized the water remains safe.
"That water is 100% safe to drink or use in all the ways you would traditionally use water," Chambers said.
The city expects conditions to improve later this week as better treated water moves through the system.
"There's a lot of high quality water coming into the system now, which is going to change what the customers experience with taste and odor over the coming days," Chambers said.
City officials expect the taste and odor to return to normal by the end of the week.
A similar issue in the future could be prevented by the Gold Hill Pipeline, which will connect Greeley's two water sources. Once construction is completed, the city said it will be able to shift water between the systems if algae affects one source, allowing customers to receive water from the unaffected supply until conditions improve. Congressman Gabe Evans, who represents the district, recently helped secure the remaining funds for the pipeline, allowing the city to plan for construction this year.
