Hudson Valley Tap Water Suddenly ‘Gross and Smelly’ For Several Reasons

If you've noticed that your tap water tastes terrible recently, you're not alone. The reason is due to several challenges that have Hudson Valley residents reaching for bottled water.

Social media has been filled with comments from residents in the Hudson Valley complaining about the quality of their tap water. While some of it is due to changes in the salt concentration in the Hudson River, there are other issues that municipalities are tackling with that are even more urgent.

Some have claimed that it tastes salty, while others have reported chemical smells and flavors that have made it hard to even drink.

Why Does Some Hudson Valley Tap Water Suddenly Taste Terrible?

Dottie DiNobile, the Water Plant Administrator of Poughkeepsie's Water Treatment Facility, told us that there are several issues affecting the water coming from the Hudson River. Poughkeepsie is one of several municipalities that takes its tap water directly from the river, treating and testing it before sending it to your faucet.

DiNobile says that issues began over the summer as drought conditions pushed seawater further north up the Hudson, causing a larger concentration of salt in the water. Storms at sea have made the situation worse, with the recent hurricane sending even more of the Atlantic upstream. Instruments used to measure the concentration of salt in the water spiked on Thursday, with numbers hitting the meter's limit for a couple of days.

Although they were not able to measure just how much salt was in the water, DiNobile insists that the presence of salt in the water is not dangerous, but people with conditions that require them to avoid sodium should avoid drinking out of the tap.

More Issues With Hudson Valley Tap Water

Aside from the increased amount of salt, DiNobile says the plant in Poughkeepsie has been carefully monitoring conditions caused by this summer's Algae Bloom. While the toxic algae that was reported in the river has disappeared, the harmful byproducts they produced are still present in samples. This has caused the plant to add large amounts of chlorine to the water in order to make it safe to drink.

The combination of the chlorine and remnants from the algae have added tastes to the water that may be unpleasant to some people. Another chemical has also been added to help prevent corrosion of pipes due to the high salt levels, which may also be adding to the problem.

Another Danger Threatens Tap Water in the Hudson Valley

While salt, algae and chlorine are adding unpleasant flavors to tap water, the water is still completely safe to drink. However, there is a new threat that officials are carefully watching, which could cause serious issues to the system.

DiNobile says that Central Hudson has been tasked with cleaning up a portion of the riverbed under the Walkway Over the Hudson that has been contaminated with coal tar. In the process of remediating the area, a survey has unveiled remnants of the coal tar, which is toxic to humans.

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

What This Means for Hudson Valley Residents

While these issues may be concerning to Hudson Valley residents, homeowners can rest easy knowing that the situation is being closely monitored. The water is safe, and will continue to be safe as long as it's running through the system, thanks to those working at treatment plants up and down the Hudson River.