'It's perfectly safe to drink,' says the utility's communications manager, James Campbell

If you've noticed an unusual taste to your tap water, there's a reason why.

Halifax Water says it's being caused by geosmin.

The same naturally occurring compound is what gives beets, spinach and mushrooms an earthy taste. It has been found in the Pockwock Water Supply, which serves those living in Halifax, Bedford, Sackville, Fall River, Waverley, and Timberlea.

The utility's communications manager, James Campbell, says there's no health risk.

"The only impact would be that it does give off that musty taste and odour, but there's absolutely no problem with the water quality or the health of the water," he tells HalifaxToday.ca. "It's perfectly safe to drink."

Halifax Water tests for geosmin twice a month. It was first detected in Pockwock Lake in 2012, then again in 2017.

The general threshold for human detection is about 15 nanograms per litre, but some people can taste it in their drinking water when the concentration is as low as 5 ng/l.

Results for a geosmin test on Oct. 28 showed a level of 12 ng/l.

"It's not an issue of the treatment process not working, it's not an issue of pollution or contamination of the water supply, it really is a naturally occurring compound that we've seen sporadically in the Pockwock Water Supply," Campbell explains.

The utility has been working with researchers from Dalhousie University and other organizations to discover what is causing it to appear in Pockwock Lake, but Campbell says the hot, dry summer followed by a lot of rain may have had something to do with it.

Geosmin is commonly found in many other jurisdictions in North America and around the world. So far in HRM, Pockwock is the only water supply where it has been detected.

Campbell says there's no way to tell for sure how long it will cause the water to taste musty.

In the meantime, Halifax Water recommends adding ice cubes or a few drops of lemon juice to help reduce the earthy taste.

More information can be found on the utility's website.