Concerns About Water Taste in Hannibal

(HANNIBAL)—Hannibal Board of Public Works officials say some customers and employees are complaining of taste and odor problems with Hannibal’s water supply.

BPW Director of Operations Heath Hall says the comments started Thursday:

Due to the unusually dry weather, and the lack of oxygen in the river, we're getting some algae growth, in particularl it's brown algae. It typically doesn't happen this time of year. It's causing some taste problems.

Hall says they’ve doubled the amount of carbon used in treatment to better absorb various organic compounds.

We're still doing all those tests that we do all the time, every day up there, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We also do tests in the water systems for bacteria and corn residuals and all those tests are coming back just fine, it just has an odd taste for some people.

Hall hopes the treatment take effect in a couple days. Board of Public Works officials emphasize that the water is safe to drink.