Tap Water May Have Odd Taste

Southern California residents with discriminating palates may detect a smoky flavor in their tap water due to storm runoff after recent wildfires, water officials said Sunday.

Rainfall washed ashes from the fires that burned through the San Bernardino Mountains in October and November and into Lake Silverwood, a major source of water for the Weymouth Filtration Plant in La Verne, said Jill Wicke of the Metropolitan Water District. Although the water retains a smoky taste after purification, it poses no health hazard to consumers, she said.

To dilute the residual scent, water authorities have begun pumping greater amounts of Colorado River water into the blend supplied by the Weymouth plant. The adjusted blend means only the most sensitive of the 3 million to 5 million people receiving water from the plant will notice an irregular taste, Wicke said.

Weymouth feeds tap water to homes in Pomona, Diamond Bar, Los Angeles, Glendale and Pasadena.

Subsequent rainstorms might prolong the problem, and extend it as far as Orange and Riverside counties, by creating additional runoff, she said.

MWD water flavor analysts first detected the taste using the same techniques employed by wine tasters -- a sniff, a roll around the mouth, and a pause to crunch on soda crackers -- before pronouncing the flavor as smoky.