Have a 'Musty' Taste in Your Water? It Could be From An Algae Bloom

Does your water taste any different lately?

The Metropolitan Water District, which supplies water to most cities in Los Angeles County, announced Friday that some Los Angeles County residents may be getting water from a reservior in San Bernardino County with an algae bloom, which could lead to a "musty' taste in the water.

Most local water agencies use water supplied by the MWD and Altadena is no exception: most of the community is served by water agencies that use MWD water, except for any residents who receive water from the Kinneloa Mesa water agency.

According to Bob Muir, a spokesman for MWD, Altadena could be in the area affected by the algae bloom; the agency has described the customers likely to to be affected as east Los Angeles County.

There are no health risks associated with the algae bloom, according to MWD's press release - the only problem is the water flavor.

Muir said that water agencies mix the MWD water with different percentages of local water - that means in Altadena, which has multiple water agencies, the water may taste differently depending which water agency a resident gets her water from.

The algae bloom is located in Silverwood Lake in San Bernardino County.  MWD officials will be working to neutralize the algae there.