Ontario region says smelly tap water is safe to drink
Despite recently having an "earthy or musty" smell and taste, tap water in Durham is safe, assures the region.
“Taste and odour episodes are caused by seasonal biological changes in Lake Ontario and typically occur in the late summer or early fall,” Durham Region said in an Aug. 11 news release.
The regional municipality said it is “difficult to predict” when the water will return to normal, but indicated that “taste and odour episodes will generally fade away after the lake water temperatures decrease.”
In the meantime, municipal officials are advising residents to refrigerate a jug of water or add ice cubes or a few drops of lemon juice to a glass of water to “reduce the taste and odour.
”Drinking water from Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe is being affected by two naturally occurring compounds, Geosmin and 2-Methylisoborneol, both of which are not “harmful to public health,” Durham Region said.
These compounds do not otherwise affect water quality, they noted.
“Laboratory testing of both the raw and treated water confirms that municipal water meets all Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards as set by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks,” said the region.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.