Why does Bradenton’s drinking water taste strange after Hurricane Helene? What to know 

After Hurricane Helene, some Bradenton residents are noticing that their drinking water smells odd and tastes salty.

That’s because Helene’s storm surge found its way into Bradenton’s primary source of drinking water at the Evers Reservoir, city officials say.

City Administrator Rob Perry said the storm surge reached about 7.5 feet in the area, pushing a flood of brackish water into the reservoir that holds 1.4 billion gallons of Bradenton’s drinking water.

According to Perry, the city’s water is still being treated and meets primary standards for drinking water safety.

“It meets primary drinking standards, however, it can have a salty taste or smell on occasion,” Perry said.

Some secondary drinking water standards, such as chloride levels, are not in compliance, the city said in an advisory on Friday.

Only city of Bradenton residents are affected by the brackish water intrusion. Residents who live in Palmetto, the island cities or unincorporated areas like Lakewood Ranch, Parrish or Bayshore Gardens that receive their water from Manatee County Government are not affected.

Free bottled water available

Officials say tap water is safe to drink, but residents can also take advantage of free bottled water distribution.

Bradenton staff are offering bottled water from noon to 7 p.m. daily at the Bradenton Auditorium, 100 10th St. W.

Residents should enter from 10th Street West and exit via 12th Street West and bring a valid ID proving residency, the city said.

When will Bradenton water taste normal?

Perry said the best solution for returning Bradenton’s water to its normal taste and odor is rain, which will dilute the brackish water in the reservoir.

Some showers and thunderstorms predicted in the Bradenton area throughout the rest of the week could help the problem.

Perry said city staff are trying other methods to reduce the salinity, but it’s a tricky process because they have to maintain safe water pressure levels on both sides of the dam.

“We might be able to accelerate it with some advanced treatment systems,” Perry said.

City officials ask Bradenton to keep conserving water

Because of the storm surge impacts on Evers Reservoir, Manatee County Government is temporarily supplementing Bradenton’s supply by sharing water from Lake Manatee.

“We tried to come off of the county water a bit recently, but the salinity still hasn’t abated that much,” Perry said.

In the meantime, city officials are asking residents to save water wherever possible as Bradenton’s infrastructure recovers.

“We still want people to conserve water use,” Perry said.

Perry said city staff are going door to door to check on homes and connect residents with recovery resources.

This story was originally published September 30, 2024 at 3:15 PM.