Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
If your tap water tastes or smells a little off — don't panic. Some Calgarians are experiencing a funny taste or smell in their water, particularly those in the north part of the city. Mark Crowdis, manager of water quality with the city, said it's because of geosmin, a harmless compound which can be found in the late summer and early fall.
You may wonder why your water is suddenly tasting mouldy. This unpleasant taste may follow you into the shower, your workplace, gym or college campus. You may have also been losing sleep over thoughts of contaminated water affecting your health. But the reality is nowhere near as dangerous as it seems. City officials say the cause of your worry is geosmin, a “harmless” naturally occurring carbon compound that usually makes its way into Calgary’s reservoirs in late summer or fall.
Dawn Stewart said she’d never encountered the foul flavour of her home’s tap water until she filled up a glass a few weeks ago. “It was disgusting and I said ‘does it taste like there’s dirt in it?'” “I ran the water for a bit and it was worse — even when I’ve got soap in it, it still has that musty odour.” With no water filters in her Royal Oak home, Stewart said the water’s earthy flavour is a disincentive to drinking it. And initially, she wondered if consuming it posed a health risk.
