Update on Smelly, Salty Tap Water in the Hudson Valley

If you've been grossed out by your Hudson Valley tap water tasting and smelling a bit strange over the past few months, there's finally some good news.

After a summer of drought conditions and river issues that sent sodium levels climbing, the City says drinking water is finally returning to normal, but there are other risks they continue to monitor.

Hudson Valley Water Issues Improving For Now

Officials at the Poughkeepsie Water Treatment Facility say sodium and chloride levels are dropping back into their usual range, which means the taste and smell of the water should soon be improving throughout the Hudson Valley. The City also confirmed that harmful algal bloom activity in the Hudson River has ended. While those toxins never made it into drinking water, they did cause some municipalities to raise chlorine levels, causing the water to have an unusual taste and smell.

What Happened to Hudson Valley Tap Water?

If you felt like something was different with your tap, you weren’t imagining it. Two separate river issues collided at the same time for communities that get their drinking water from the Hudson.

The drought that hit New York this summer dropped Hudson River levels so low that a salt front pushed farther north than usual. That increased the sodium and chloride levels in the water. Everything was still safe for most residents, but it didn’t taste the way many Poughkeepsie customers were used to. City officials suggested that those on salt-restricted diets watch their tap water intake and consider using bottled water until levels normalized.

At the same time, a harmful algal bloom popped up in the Hudson River. Tests showed the treatment facility successfully removed algal toxins before the water reached customers, but treatments that kept the water safe contributed to the foul odor and taste.

More Threats to Drinking Water From the Hudson?

Dottie DiNobile, the Water Plant Administrator of Poughkeepsie's Water Treatment Facility, says that she's watching another threat to our drinking water that could have worse consequences than the issues we faced this summer.

DiNobile says that Central Hudson's cleanup of a riverbed under the Walkway Over the Hudson has unveiled remnants of the coal tar, which is toxic to humans.

While the coal tar has not yet made its way to the intake for Poughkeepsie's water supply, officials are closely monitoring the situation with cameras and other tests to make sure it doesn't contaminate the system. If that does happen, the flow will need to be shut down in order to address what steps would be needed to make the water safe to drink.

As for the salt and chlorine, DiNobile fears that climate change may cause issues with the salt line and algae to return sooner than later. Because of severe storms pushing Atlantic Ocean water further up the river and warmer weather fostering algae growth, the river water has become more susceptible to problems.

Luckily, the Hudson Valley's drinking water is safe and will remain that way as long as it's running through the system.