Resident raises ongoing tap water taste and odor issues; town says independent testing shows water is safe

A Rising Sun resident told commissioners at the September meeting that some neighbors have stopped drinking tap water because of a persistent metallic or "dirt" taste and odor, and asked what the town is doing to address the problem.

"I live at 36 West Cherry Street in Rising Sun...on my street, we're still not having very good water," the resident, who identified himself as Skip Use, said when he addressed the commission. He said the taste and odor appeared abruptly and that "half of them said they don't drink the water anymore." He also thanked officials for working with a local mushroom farm to reduce odor issues.

Town staff responded that the town and a third-party independent laboratory have pulled and tested samples from multiple spots and that, to date, testing has not identified contamination of concern. "We've gone over and gone through those and had them tested...So far, we haven't had anything of of any mention," a town staff member said, describing sediment and runoff after dry spells as one possible cause of taste and odor events.

Staff noted the town conducts independent monthly sampling at random locations, recommended residents check home filters and plumbing strainers, and said an engineer recently evaluated the town water tank and reported no problems. "We just had an engineer up there who completely did an evaluation of our water tank...and we know we don't have problems at the water tank," staff said.

Town staff asked residents with ongoing issues to contact the town with specific addresses so officials can collect targeted samples and look for patterns in the data.

The town said its consumer confidence report is available on the town website and that, based on current testing, the water is safe to drink. Staff did not provide a timeline for any infrastructure upgrades; they flagged older mains and higher-temperature summer conditions as factors that can increase taste and odor reports.