Frequently Asked Questions

Taste & Odor:

1. Why does my drinking water have a taste or smell? Will this smelly
    water make me sick?

2. What can I do if my drinking water tastes “funny"?

3. Drinking water often looks cloudy when first taken from a faucet and 
    then it clears up. Why is that?

4. What is “hard” water"?

5. What is that white stuff in my coffeepot and on my showerhead and  
    glass shower door How can I get rid of it?
 

Conservation:

6. What activity in my home uses the most water?

7. Which uses more water, a tub bath or a shower?

8. I leave the water running while I brush my teeth.
    Does this waste much water?

9. Why are there aerators on home water faucets?

10. Many water quality problems in the home – lead, sand in the
     system, and so forth – are cured by flushing the system. Isn’t that
     a waste of water?

11. My water faucet drips. Should I bother to fix it?

12. How should I water my lawn to avoid wasting water?

13. What can I do to conserve water and where can I find additional information?
 

Distribution:

14. How does a water company detect a major leak in the 
     distribution piping system?

15. What are the causes of low water pressure and should low water 
      pressure concern me?
 

Federal Regulations:

16. What federal legislation protects the quality of drinking water?

17. How do federal regulatory agencies choose the standard
      for a chemical in drinking water?

Watershed:

18. How can I find out if the Authority watershed is open for hiking or  
      biking?

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ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Taste & Odor:

1. Why does my drinking water have a taste or smell? Will this
    smelly water make me sick?

The three most common reasons for bad tasting or smelling water are:

• A funny taste can come from the chlorine that is added to the water to kill germs.
• A rotten-egg odor in some well water (not WMWA-supplied water) is caused by a smelly chemical – hydrogen sulfide – dissolved in the water
• Algae and tiny fungi which grow in surface water sources, may give off nontoxic, chemicals that may cause discernable tastes and odors in drinking water. Different algae cause different tastes and odors – grassy, swampy, or fishy, as examples- and certain fungi can cause an earthy-musty taste.

These common substances that can cause taste or odors in drinking water are not normally contaminants that could affect your health. However, chlorinated water contains reaction products of the chlorination process which are regulated under The Safe Drinking Water Act. The U.S. EPA  and water supplier research organizations are regularly reviewing such issues.

2. What can I do if my drinking water tastes “funny”?

Five suggestions are:

• Call the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority at 323-6148
  to report any unusual taste or odor.
• Store some drinking water in a loosely capped glass container in the refrigerator (warm drinking water has more taste than cold drinking water). Although some plastic bottles are okay for storing drinking water in the refrigerator, some types of plastic will cause a taste in water. If you are having trouble, use a different kind of plastic.
• Use an electric mixer or blender to aerate the drinking water for a few minutes. This mixing will remove some of the bad taste but not all of it. Remember that to be smelled, the chemicals that cause the smell must leave the water, get into the air, and enter your nose. When you beat or blend the water, you hasten the chemicals leaving the water and get rid of some of the odor-causing chemicals prior to drinking the water. Then there are fewer chemicals to smell when you do drink.
• Boiling tap water for five minutes should remove most of the chlorine taste. After the water cools, refrigerate it. Remember that once the disinfectant is removed, the water must be treated like any other food. Keep it covered and use it as quickly as possible.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice to refrigerated drinking water.

3. Drinking water may look cloudy when first taken from a faucet and
    then it clears up. Why is that?

The cloudy water is caused usually by tiny air bubbles in the water similar to the gas bubbles in beer and carbonated soft drinks. After a while, the bubbles rise to the top and are gone. This type of cloudiness occurs more often in the winter, when the drinking water from the water main is cold and can hold more dissolved air. When it warms up, it releases the air.
 

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4. What is “hard” water?

“Hardness” in drinking water is caused by two nontoxic chemicals (usually called minerals) – calcium and magnesium. Water is said to be "hard" because making lather or suds for washing is hard (difficult) to do. Thus, cleaning with hard water is hard (difficult). Water containing little calcium or magnesium is called soft water. WMWA water has a low to moderate level of calcium, below the level at which it would be considered "hard". The WMWA adds a small amount of calcium to help control the corrosive properties of the water.  
 

5. What is that white stuff in my coffeepot and on my showerhead
    and glass shower door? How can I get rid of it?

When water is heated or allowed to evaporate, minerals (mostly calcium carbonate) dissolved in water may be left behind as a powdery scale. These minerals are white and may accumulate in tea kettles and on showerheads and glass shower doors.

To remove these minerals, fill the tea kettle with a vinegar solution and let it sit overnight, or soak the showerhead overnight in a plastic bowl filled with vinegar. NOTE: Rinse the tea kettle or showerhead thoroughly after treatment and before use. Pouring the excess hot liquid out of your coffeepot when you are finished with it will help somewhat in preventing this problem.

White spots on glass shower doors are difficult to remove with vinegar because the spots dissolve very slowly. A better idea is to prevent the spots from forming by wiping the glass door with a damp sponge or towel after each shower.
 

Conservation:

6. What activity in my home uses the most water?

Toilet flushing is by far the largest single use of water in a home. Most toilets use from 4 to 6 gallons (15 to 23 liters) of water for each flush. On a average, a dishwasher uses about 50 percent less water than the amount used when you wash and rinse dishes by hand if the dishes are not pre-rinsed and if only full loads are washed in the dishwasher.

Without counting lawn watering, typical percentages of water use for a family of four are:

• Toilet flushing – 40%
• Bath and shower – 32%
• Laundry – 14%
• Dishwashing – 6%
• Cooking and drinking – 5%
• Bathroom sink – 3%

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7. Which uses more water, a tub bath or a shower?

That depends on many factors: how big your tub is, how long you shower, how fast the water comes out of your showerhead, whether or not you turn off the water while soaping, and so forth. Answer this question yourself by closing the drain when you shower and see if you get a tub full of water. Don’t try this in a shower stall!

8. I leave the water running while I brush my teeth. Does this
   waste much water?

You bet! Leaving the water running uses about 4 to 6 gallons (20 to 25 liters) of water needlessly every time you brush. Turning off the water when you are not using it will save water and save you money.

Another way many people unthinkingly waste water is while they are waiting for the hot water to come to a shower, tub, or sink. Catching this water to use for plant watering is a good conservation tip.

9. Why are there aerators on home water faucets?

When mixed with water, tiny air bubbles from the aerator prevent the water from splashing too much. Because the water flow is less, often half the regular flow, aerators also help conserve water.

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10. Many water quality problems in the home are cured by flushing the
     system. Isn’t that a waste of water?

Yes, but you can avoid losing this water by catching it in a container and using it for plant and garden watering. Even if you don’t do this, strictly speaking the flush water is not wasted. A true waste of water is a use that gives no benefit, like leaving the water running while you brush your teeth, setting your lawn sprinkler so the water lands on your driveway or street, or flushing the toilet to get rid of a tissue. Flush water does provide a benefit if it clears the water or brings hot water to your tub. Try to use your flush water, but if you can’t don’t feel too bad. This water has served a useful purpose.

11. My water faucet drips. Should I bother to fix it?

Yes. Drips waste a precious product and this waste should be stopped, even though the dripping water may not register on your water meter. To find out how much water you’re wasting, put an 8-ounce (236 milliliter) measuring cup (or anything that will let you measure 8-ounces) under the drip and find out how many minutes it takes to fill it up. Divide the filling time into 90 (90 ÷ minutes to fill) to get the gallons of water wasted each day.

As an example, if you have a faucet that dripped 60 times a minute (once each second) this adds up to over 3 gallons (12 liters) each day or 1,225 gallons (4,630 liters) each year, enough to fill more than twenty-two 55-gallon (210 liter) drums, just from one dripping faucet. This leak would fill the 8-ounce (236-milliliter) measuring cup in less than 30 minutes.

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12. How should I water my lawn to avoid wasting water?

Water your lawn for long periods a couple of times each week, rather than every day. This allows deep penetration of the water. An inch a week is a good rule of thumb, but this varies for different grasses and different parts of the country. Check with your local garden store. If you want to find out exactly how long to water, put some large cans or jars (peanut butter jars will work) around your lawn and see how long you have to run your sprinkler to fill the jars with the right amount of water.

Water early in the morning to avoid excessive evaporation; it is usually less windy then. Night watering may promote lawn disease. Use a sprinkler that makes large drops, because small drops evaporate faster. Watering your lawn with a hand-held hose is a waste of both your time and your water, although it might be okay for a small garden.

Try to avoid watering paved areas and don’t use your hose to wash sidewalks or driveways. Both of these practices waste a lot of water.

13. What can I do to conserve water and where can I find additional information?

American Water Works Association Information Website at http://www.drinktap.org/consumerdnn/

Straight Talk on Water Conservation

As a society, we have become more and more environmentally conscious and better informed about the effect our lifestyles can have on the world around us. Yet, the demand for our most valuable natural resource—drinking water—continues to grow while local supplies can be threatened by drought conditions. Only one percent of the earth’s water is available for human consumption and yet, according to the latest U.S. Geological Survey, the United States uses 408 billion gallons a day. On the industrial level, numerous water-saving technologies have been employed to help conserve water. And while strong progress has been made, there are several simple steps that consumers can take to help preserve our water supply for future generations.

What can you do?

• Water your lawn early in the morning or at night to avoid excess evaporation.
• Do not over water your lawn.
• Use lawn chemicals only when necessary.
• Fully load the dishwasher and clothes washer before running.
• When washing dishes by hand, or when brushing your teeth, do not leave the water running.
• Repair dripping faucets and leaky toilets. Dripping faucets can waste up to 2,000 gallons of water each year in the average home. Leaky toilets can waste as much as 200 gallons per day.
• If you have a swimming pool, use a cover. By so doing, you can cut the loss of water by evaporation
  by 90 percent.
• Use a broom, rather than a hose, to clean sidewalks or driveways.
• Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator or in a microwave instead of running hot water over the food.
• Do not pour toxic chemicals (such as cleaning products, motor oil, weed-killers, or paints) down the drain. Dispose of them properly.

Together, we share in the benefits of some of the safest drinking water in the world, and it is incumbent upon us all to protect this valuable natural resource for future generations. By making simple changes in our daily routines, we can feel confident that we are doing our part.

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Distribution:

14. How does a water company detect a major leak in the distribution
     piping system?

• A major leak can be detected by:
• Visual detection (water on ground) by water company employees who work in the field.
• A loss in pressure that can be detected by the water company and customers.
• Reports by public-minded citizens.

Once a leak is suspected, its precise location is determined by water utility personnel. Sensitive listening devices are used to detect the sound of the leaking water underground.

Stopping leaks is important to the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority because leaks waste water, resulting in higher operating costs. The Williamsport Municipal Water Authority doesn’t get paid for the water that is lost to leaks, but may pass its cost along to the customers. The national average for water lost from leaks is 15 percent, although most suppliers try to keep such losses to around 10 percent. Gas companies only lose about 5 percent of their product.

Any leakage that occurs on your service line is your responsibility and must be repaired at your own expense. Prompt repair is to your benefit, because as long as the pipe is leaking, your water bill could be higher.

15. What are the causes of low water pressure and should low water
     pressure concern me?

Temporary low pressure can be caused by heavy water use in your area – lawn watering, a water main break, fighting a nearby fire, and so on. Lower pressure may be the result of the location of your home – on a hill or far from the pumping station – or home water pipes that are too small, or have a lot of scale in them, leaving little room for the water to flow. This is more common in older homes.

Low pressure may be more than just a nuisance. The water system depends on pressure to keep out any contamination. If the pressure drops, the possibility of pollution entering the drinking water increases. You should report any sudden or unusual drop in water pressure to the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority.

Federal Regulations:

16. What federal legislation protects the quality of drinking water?

In the United States, the Safe Drinking Water Act (administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), first passed in 1974 and expanded and strengthened in 1986 and 1996, protects the quality of drinking water.

17. How do federal regulatory agencies choose the standard for a chemical in drinking water?

Because rats and mice digest their food the same way humans do, toxic chemicals affect them in the same way humans are. Therefore, scientists at the National Toxicology Program of the federal government feed these animals a chemical in questions for a two-year period to determine its effects. From this information and using a safety factor, a drinking water standard based on “reasonable risk” is determined. For most potentially cancer-causing chemicals, reasonable risk is defined as follows: If 1 million people drank water for a period of 70 years with the amount of chemical in it equal to the standard, no more than one additional person would probably get cancer from the drinking water – a very small risk.


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Watershed:

18. How can I find out if the Authority watershed is open for hiking or biking?

Please contact the business office at 323-6148 for any questions regarding the use of the watershed.


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