One suggestion to combat the “earthy” water taste is to stick it in the refrigerator for one hour.
UPDATE: I left my water bottle in the refrigerator for an hour, and it did not make a difference in the taste. So I decided to leave the lid off and see if that would make a difference. It did not. Back to waiting.
Besides constant reassurances from water officials and the use of powdered activated carbon to treat it, it’s a waiting game to see when the taste of water from the Mississippi River returns to normal, and the issue is not specific to the Tri-States.
The Belleville News-Democrat reports that Illinois American Water, which supplies water for many southwestern Illinois communities, is receiving the same complaints that the city of Quincy and Hannibal, Mo., are receiving.
However, a spokesman with the company told the paper that residents should consider placing water in a jug in the refrigerator for an hour to combat the problem.
This is the first I’ve heard of the solution, so I decided to give it a try. I filled my water bottle from the trusty Herald-Whig water fountain (I checked to make sure it didn’t taste normal) and placed it in the fridge.
I’ll let you know if it works.
