Tyler Water Utilities (TWU) is partnering with HDR Engineering, Inc. to carry out a study on how to improve the taste and odor quality of the water from Lake Palestine. The City Council approved the $120,000 contract for an engineering study on Wednesday, March 27. 

The study will identify ways to enhance the treatment process and address the taste and odor issues that TWU customers experience when Lake Palestine experiences seasonal issues.

TWU provides water to the City of Tyler through two water treatment plants, the Golden Road Water Treatment Plant and the Lake Palestine Water Treatment Plant. The Lake Palestine plant sources its water from Lake Palestine, which has inherently high levels of geosmin due to the age of the lake and the amount of natural organic matter, which contributes to the production of geosmin. The water is safe to drink and continues to meet or exceed all Federal and State water quality standards.

The water treatment plant can typically remove more than 95% of the Geosmin compound between the raw water and treated water samples. However, geosmin is detectable by humans at a very low taste and odor threshold, which is why it is treated year-round.

The project will be done in two phases. The first phase will assess the treatment process performance, regulatory compliance, determine target water quality parameters and develop the bench-scale and pilot-scale testing plan. The second phase will execute the testing plan, analyze test results, and develop recommendations for proposed improvements. The first phase is estimated to be complete by July 2024.

"We are committed to providing our customers with safe, reliable, and high-quality drinking water," said Utilities Director Kate Dietz, PE.  "This study will help us identify ways to improve the taste and odor of our water and ensure that we continue to meet our customers' needs."