Residents from St. Catharines, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Thorold and Lincoln who receive their drinking water from the Decew Falls Water Treatment plant may notice a musty or earthy taste or odour in their tap water.
The Region sending out an advisory warning that the changes in taste and odour are caused naturally by seasonal changes that can affect the conditions of source water.
Depending on weather conditions, these tastes and odours may continue for a couple of weeks.
While the temporary change in taste or odour may be noticeable to some, the tap water supplied by the municipal water supply systems remains safe to drink during these episodes and there is no health risk.
Residents who experience taste and odour issues with their tap water can use in-home water filtration systems with activated carbon to help reduce or eliminate the tastes and odours.
Storing water in a loosely sealed glass container in the refrigerator for a period of time before drinking can also help.