 "Photo: Photo illustration by Jason Sweeten")
Austin Water Utility's laboratory indicated Tuesday that levels of odor-causing algae in Lake Austin and Town Lake were dropping, said Laurie Lentz, Austin Water Utility spokeswoman.
Last Wednesday, the lab reported high levels of this algae, which has been causing Austin's tap water to have a strange smell and taste. The treatment department added powdered activated carbon to lessen the odor, said Jane Burazer, assistant director for water treatment at Austin Water Utility. Regular treatments that disinfect and soften the water will be continued, she said.
"The water is safe to drink, it's just not fun to drink," Burazer said.
For individuals with compromised immune systems, it might be a good idea to check with a physician, Lentz said. Otherwise, there is no health risk, but if the smell or taste of the water, which has been described by residents as "fishy," is bothersome, people may want to drink bottled water, she said.
Chemical engineering junior Rupesh Shah is doing just that. Shah said he realized Saturday that a foul smell in his apartment was coming from the water and began drinking bottled water or went without any water at all.
Shah said his apartment in West Campus has poor ventilation, so the smell from the steam of the shower permeates the apartment.
"We started sniffing around the whole apartment. We thought it was the trash cans," he said.
The initial rise in algae levels seems to be associated with the warm temperatures last week, Lentz said. This tends to encourage algae growth of all kinds, she said.
Austin Water Utility has not previously dealt with high levels of this algae type, Burazer said. He said he is not certain what to expect, but believes the algae levels will decrease with cooler temperatures.
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