What made Eagle Mountain water taste different? Water expert weighs in
Mar 9, 2023, 11:00 AM | Updated: Oct 19, 2023, 12:48 pm
EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah — Residents in Eagle Mountain have been raising concerns about their drinking water after the city switched to a different well last week. The change was quickly noticed by residents, who complained of a change in taste and smell.
“My daughter said it tastes like dirt,” Karissa Peugnet said. “I need to make sure I know what’s in my water.”
Peugnet along with several residents brought jars of their tap water to local water research and consulting firm Enevive. The total dissolved solids, or TDS, readings from their samples ranged from 730 to 860, which is within the range the city has been reporting since the switch and within the state’s limit of 2,000.
Have you heard of TDS in water?
It doubled to 870 when Eagle Mountain switched from well #1 to well #5.At 10:00, what that means for those drinking the water and why Utah’s DEQ isn’t worried, on @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/FDxX0Y6mkC
— Ashley Moser (@AshleyMoser) March 9, 2023
“Honestly, I expected it to be a lot lower…and seeing it now is just quite alarming,” said Derek Danklef.
On Feb. 27, the city switched from water well 1 to water well 5, due to maintenance. That switch to well 5 led to a change in some levels in the city’s water. Nitrate increased by about 300%, selenium about 250%, and sulfate about 45%. Arsenic decreased by 74%, and fluoride by 68%.
TDS levels doubled to 870 after the well switch. This is still below the state’s limit, but experts believe it could easily be the reason why residents noticed the change.
