Nova ScotiaThe utility said a compound called geosmin has been detected in Pockwock Lake, making the water smell and taste unpleasant. Halifax Water said it is safe to drink.A compound detected in Pockwock Lake called geosmin is to blame Anjuli Patil · CBC News · Posted: Dec 01, 2025 8:05 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Halifax Water explains reported earthy tap tasteHalifax-area residents who get their water from Pockwock Lake may have noticed a musty taste from the tap — and there’s a naturally occurring reason why. Brittany Smith with Halifax Water explains. Halifax Water officials say a naturally occurring compound is to blame for a musty taste that some Halifax-area residents may have noticed in their drinking water. According to the utility’s website, the blame lies with something called geosmin — a “harmless, naturally occurring compound produced by bacteria in soil and algae found in surface water (lakes, rivers, streams, dams).”“Geosmin produces an earthy, musty-type odour/taste, like that of overturned rich soils, and is present in foods such as beets, spinach, and mushrooms,” reads the explanation.In an interview with CBC News on Monday, Halifax Water spokesperson Brittany Smith said geosmin was first detected in Pockwock Lake in 2012. Although the flavour may not be to everyone’s liking, she said it is safe to consume.“So you’re going to get that musty kind of old taste and odor. It can be unpleasant but it’s not harmful and it’s safe to drink and we’re meeting all Health Canada regulatory requirements now,” Smith said.Halifax Water said geosmin is not the result of pollution or contamination of its water sources and is also not the result of a failure of treatment processes.Smith said boiling or chilling the water may not get rid of the taste, but that adding drops of lemon juice “can reduce that odour.”She said it’s not clear what caused the geosmin, but that it should subside in the coming months.She said some customers in the Dartmouth area may also have noticed the taste. Lake Major primarily supplies water to that area but because of ongoing drought conditions, some water from Lake Pockwock is going there too.“Folks in the downtown Dartmouth area would have also noticed the geosmin in their water,” Smith said.Halifax Water customers serviced by Lake Major and Pockwock Lake are still under voluntary restrictions because of the drought. Smith said while recent rain has helped increase water levels, more is needed before restrictions can be lifted altogether.“We need a significant amount of snow this winter to be able to ensure that this doesn’t happen again next summer. And then we’ll need rain and such into the spring and again next summer,” she said. “I know it’s unfortunate that we’re wanting snow, but it’s something we need in order for the lakes to recover. And those voluntary restrictions, we should get used to them for a little while.”MORE TOP STORIESWith files from Amy Smith
Halifax Water explains why some tap water tastes musty
