SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — We’ve seen the impact this week’s storms have had on roads and buildings, but there’s another impact that you can’t see but maybe smell and taste.

Some people throughout Salt Lake County are complaining about the smell and taste of their tap water, prompting some cities like Sandy to issue a warning.

The most common word used to describe the problem is “earthy.” Some describe it as “musty.”

But no matter what you call it, the city wants people to know it’s safe.

Snow plows in August and waterfalls in apartments are a simple sign of how unpredictable the weather was in mid-August.

But a few days later, another effect is not so easy to detect, which has to do with some people’s water.

“It’s just in very bad taste,” said Julie Dixon, who lives in Sandy.

Dixon has lived in Sandy for over 20 years and has never had a problem with the water in her home. But recently something changed, and now she describes it differently.

“Dirty,” she said.

Dixon said the smell and taste of her water had gone bad.

Tom Ward, director of public utilities in Sandy, told 2News it was a result of recent weather conditions.

“The monsoon season is coming, storms are coming, the reservoirs are hot and there is movement. This is the time of year when we see such a peak,” he said.

Ward said it was a natural process and the water was still safe to drink.

It doesn’t affect everyone in the valley, but some people in Sandy, like Dixon and other places in the county, taste and smell it from their faucets.

“It’s like being in the woods after a rainstorm. You smell it, it smells a little different. It’s earthy,” said Susan Woods of Sandy City.

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Ward said the treatment plant will need a few days to adjust to the change and get everything back to normal.

“When water quality changes rapidly, it sometimes takes a while for the treatment process to get going,” he said.

Ward said that in the future, wastewater treatment plants will likely pay a little more attention to peak levels to anticipate any changes in the water.

He doesn’t expect the taste and smell to last longer than a week.

If you notice a funny taste or smell in your water, Ward says chilling it for a few minutes should help.

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