Ask Austinist: Put Down That Glass

Earlier today, an anonymous Austinist reader posted this tip in our Contribute section:

Has anyone else noticed that Austin water is tasting horrible and fishy lately? Just noticed it last night and it's still gross today. wtf?!

According to Austin Water Utility, this fetid stench is caused by recent algae growth in Lake Austin and Town Lake, probably owing to last week's warm weather and the general low water level at our various lakes. The folks at AWU claim that "any unusual taste or odor in the City’s tap water is harmless to consumers," and they're currently trying out some fancy "powdered activated carbon" (like your Brita filters) to neutralize the smell of putrefaction. In the meantime, we recommend sticking to beer.

Photo from GotAlgae.com