WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — The City of West Columbia, the Town of Lexington, and the Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission are collaborating to address taste and odor concerns of water at Lake Murray.
Now, solutions are available.
West Columbia Director of Engineering and Water Plants Andy Zaengle said the earthy taste and smell of water are caused by recent weather patterns, including heavy rainfall, increased runoff and high temperatures, which have created more algal blooms.
“These two different types of algae, when they die and decay and their cell ruptures, they release two organic compounds of MIB [methylisoborneol] and geosmin, and they get into the water that is water creates that earthy taste and smell in the water,” Zaengle said.
He said tests began in 2019 to better understand the different elements occurring in Lake Murray, all of which were brought to light by customers.
One customer who lives on the lake recalled the funny smell she noticed a few months ago.
“On windy days, especially, we noticed a very foul smell and fishy odor coming from the lake, which I sort of have always been told, 'Oh, it's just the lake, so it's normal,' but it's not a nice smell,” she said.
The solution is incorporated into the Lake Murray Water Treatment Plant expansion, which includes a $40 million investment in ozonation technology specifically designed to address taste and odor issues.
Zaengle described it as an ozone treatment that breaks down compounds that cause earthy tastes and smells. It also has the added benefit of killing viruses and bacteria without additional chemicals.
“Ozone is a gas, so we are going to inject it into the water, and then we take that and put that into a much larger holding tank and let it mix," Zaengle said. "So, we dissolve the gas into water, and it oxidizes those compounds.”
Officials said the water is safe to drink. However, customers are encouraged to filter water and let it chill overnight before use.
They added that the proposed solutions are slated for fall 2027.