East Bay residents are still complaining of a funny taste and smell in their tap water.
According to Berkeleyside, the change in taste and odor is because the East Bay Municipal Utilities District started drawing water from the top instead of the bottom of the Pardee Reservoir on March 26. The unpleasant flavor and smell is attributed to the algae that resides in these upper, warmer waters, even though the water is treated and brought up to quality standards by EBMUD.
The drinking water supply lately has been described by many on social media as having a "metallic" flavor. Some have likened it to the taste of chicken fat, raw meat or even blood.
While early reports noted Berkeley residents' observations about the water, SFGate reported that EBMUD has received complaints from a much wider part of the East Bay: Alameda, Alamo, Albany, Blackhawk, Danville, Diablo, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Kensington, Lafayette, Moraga, Oakland, Orinda, Piedmont, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek.
"For the past week, my tap water in Oakland has tasted like steamed onion with an aftertaste of dank mildew," observed CityLab.
Though EBMUD is back to using the water at the bottom of the Pardee, the flavor still may be off for a few days.
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Thanks to the drought, however, it may be back this spring; spokesperson Abby Figueroa warned SFGate that the agency may have to use the upper water supply again this season.
