St. Paul's Water Problems
Early in the summer, the flavor of St. Paul's tap water sometimes takes a turn for the worse. Not that there's anything wrong with the water … it's just, well, off. Slightly musty. Sometimes even fishy.
St. Paul Regional Water Services is doing something about it, and the solution is pretty simple: industrial-size versions of the popular Brita home filter systems.The water department is installing the giant carbon filters at its McCarrons Treatment Plant. The result, water officials hope, will be tap water that tastes and smells better.
Officials say the culprit is likely an algae-derived compound called geosmin. Though not dangerous, the human sensory system is extremely sensitive to it. Geosmin is a byproduct of the unique way St. Paul collects most of its water, which is drained from the Mississippi River near Fridley and transported nine miles through twin 5-foot pipes to a series of interlocking lakes in Vadnais Heights and North Oaks. The river water is also mixed with lake and well water.
The lakes allow sediment to settle out of the water, making it clearer. But there's a catch. The downside of it is, lakes tend to be factories for algae. At some point every year, when the right combination of sunlight and warm weather hits, the lakes bloom with algae. That's what brings on episodes of foul-smelling water. Learn More.
February 8, 2006 6:46 AM | Category: Chemicals