If the tap water has been tasting odd to any residents in Richardson, don't worry, it's not an overactive imagination. The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) has confirmed, via lab results, than an algal bloom has caused a change in the taste of the water supply.

The algae bloom was caused by decaying plants that grew along lake shore lines during the draught. When the reservoir levels returned to normal during the spring, those plants were mixed with warmer water, which caused the algae bloom. The result is added "earthly" flavor to the water, but it is not harmful to the public and is safe to drink.

The NTMWD will introduce additional chemicals to the treatment process to help reduce the taste and odors. The added chemicals will be removed during the treatment process but will not be able to entirely eliminate the taste or odor.

The NTMWD is hoping to implement ozonation to the water treatment process, which would significantly reduce or even completely eliminate taste and odor issues. However, the ozonation treatment process would not be available until the late 2013 and early 2014.