Experts Say Brutal Winter Is To Blame For Bad Taste Left By Salty Tap Water
SUMMIT, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- The brutal winter may be to blame for tap water that's leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some New Jersey residents.
Melanie Wilson of Summit admitted that when her filtered tap water tasted a little salty, she didn't think much of it at first.
"Then my daughter came home, took one sip of it, and said, 'what's with this water,'" she told CBS2's Vanessa Murdock.
Salt, that's what was with it. It was like Wilson was drinking ocean water.
She reached out to the mayor and apparently wasn't the only one puckering after pulling from the tap.
"After hearing from so many of you, I requested NJ American Water take additional samples for testing," Summit Mayor Ellen Dickson said.
Samples were pulled from downtown Summit and Memorial field that revealed sodium levels at 58.5 mg/L, nearly 10 mg above the 50 mg/L standard set by the state and nearly double the level recommended by the EPA for taste. Experts said it was never a health threat.
Yet again, old man winter was to blame. Snowstorm after snowstorm required repeated salting with various chloride compounds.
"These compounds are soluble, so after they're applied to the roads and melting happens they wash into the watershed and ultimately into the water supply," said Frank Marascia of New Jersey American Water.
Typically they are not removed during water treatment.
"They're considered secondary contaminants. There's not a primary health concern associated with it," he explained.
It's not just New Jersey American Water and the people of Summit sampling salty water.
United Water measured elevated sodium levels in Rahway, Jersey City, and parts of Hackensack.
The Passaic Valley Water Commission told CBS2 that at its worst, sodium measured 150 mg/l.
Bottled water had become a necessity, but the water isn't too salty to drink anymore. As spring gets into full swing the water should be more and more palatable.
