Tap Water Tasting Funny In NYC? Here's Why

NEW YORK CITY — As if 2020 hadn't caused enough headaches for New Yorkers, residents in recent weeks have reported a new concern: strange-tasting or looking tap water coming from their faucets.

So far this month, New York City residents have made 271 complaints to 311 about the taste or appearance of their tap water — that's nearly 20 percent of all such complaints filed this year.

Last week, dozens of city dwellers chimed in on a Patch comment thread, saying that their tap water had begun tasting metallic or moldy.

"Even coffee doesn’t taste as good. It’s awful," wrote Louise Engel, who lives on the Upper East Side.

What's the cause of these water woes? For an answer, Patch reached out to the city's Department of Environmental Protection, which manages New York's drinking water as it flows south from three upstate water systems.

Among the takeaways: the tap water is regularly tested and remains perfectly safe, and the unusual taste should dissipate by early January, according to DEP spokesperson Adam Bosch.

Bosch said the main cause of the "earthy" flavor is the annual decay of aquatic plants in the upstate reservoirs that hold the city's water. As those plants die off in the fall and early winter, microscopic particles make their way into tap water at a rate of up to 15 parts per billion — equivalent to "a sprinkle of sea salt in ten tons of potato chips," Bosch said.

"These compounds are 100 percent harmless," he said. "We can say with absolute, 100 percent confidence that the water is safe to drink."

This year, the strange taste may be magnified by other factors. Earlier this month, DEP shut down the Catskill Aqueduct — the source of 40 percent of the city's drinking water — for a much-needed rehabilitation project which will replace century-old valves along 74 miles of the historic waterway.

To accommodate the temporary loss of that water source, the city will rely increasingly upon its two other systems: the Delaware and the Croton. Each day, depending on demand, the city rotates between those two sources, making slight variations in taste more apparent.

"You could wake up in the morning and be drinking Delaware water in the morning and Croton water at night," Bosch said. "That will allow you to more easily notice the differences in the way those water sources taste."

Leaving an open pitcher of water in the refrigerator or adding ice cubes can help mitigate the bad taste, according to the DEP.

The Catskill Aqueduct is set to return to operation in mid-February. Tap water will likely regain its normal taste sooner than that, Bosch said, once winter hits and cold temperatures hasten the tiny plants' demise.

"The deeper the cold, generally, the quicker this goes away," he said.

Has your tap water tasted unusual recently? Let us know in the comments.