RACINE, WI — Racine residents are reporting an unusual earthy taste in their tap water, though city officials maintain the water is safe to drink.
"I normally brag to everyone about how good Racine's water tastes." Said April Wiggins, a Racine resident. "We went to Texas, and they were like 'we have the best tasting water' and I was like 'oh no you don't' Racine has you way beat."
But recently, that bragging has stopped.
"I can't drink the water right now. Every time I do, I can't finish the glass of water; it just doesn't taste right," Wiggins said.
For two weeks, Wiggins has described her water as tasting earthy, similar to pond water.
"It tastes like you're drinking straight out of Lake Michigan; it doesn't taste right," Wiggins said.
Wiggins is not alone. The topic has been discussed heavily online, and our newsroom has received emailed complaints about the smell and taste of the water.
WATCH: Racine residents report unusual taste in drinking water while city officials maintain water remains safe to consume
In July, the city's water utility released a statement saying, based on testing, "there is no indication that the water safety is compromised."
However, in the almost three weeks since then, problems have persisted.
The superintendent from the water utility reiterated what was said in July, explaining that the water is treated with chlorine to disinfect and potassium permanganate to combat bad taste and odor.
In an emailed statement to TMJ4, the city of Racine says the lake's seasonal increase in temperatures and rise in natural organic matter can impact the taste. The city reasserted that "your water is safe to consume."
While Wiggins says the taste has improved slightly in recent days, it's still not back to normal.
"I've lived in Racine my whole life, and I don't remember ever having the water taste like this before," Wiggins said."I hope this doesn't happen again because this definitely interrupted what we've done in our lives."
Anyone experiencing persistent issues is asked to call the water utility laboratory.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
