The Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District is investigating, but has yet to determine, why drinking water in the area has a different taste and odor. The water is safe to drink.

District CEO Dan Brown said this morning the best guess is it is in the water coming from Roanoke Rapids Lake and possibly related to the effects a dry and unseasonably warm winter has had on the supply.

“We have gone through our systems and are looking at what’s coming out. The numbers look good,” he said. “The raw water in the lake has had higher than normal pH. We’ve been able to adjust that. We’ve checked with the state and other users and haven’t found anyone had similar problems. All you can do is let it run its course.”

The district is planning an intensive flush of its system in May to meet new rules that have been enacted, but still Brown believes the problem residents have been experiencing are most likely related to the source water in Roanoke Rapids Lake. “It may be stratification in the lake. We’ve had the warmest January and February and March is going to be the warmest March.”

One of the things the district is trying is changing the influent from the dam to the river. “We’ve got pumps in the river that have been used in emergencies or backup. We’re going to try this and see what the difference is. Cold water has higher oxygen than warm water. Oxygen makes higher quality.”

Regardless, Brown said, “Water getting out of the lake is being treated to same standards. The numbers coming out of the filters are great. We think it’s a climate, seasonal thing, probably related to it being warm and dry and all the pollen.”