Water in KC could smell and taste unusual in the coming days. Is it safe to drink?
Tap water in the Kansas City Metro may taste different over the next couple days.
The change in odor and taste is due to the heavy rains that hit just north of the area, leading to excess runoff changing the composition of the Missouri River, KC Water said in a Sunday news release.
KC Water ensures that the water is still completely safe to drink. Depending on the weather in the upper Missouri River Basin, KC water expects the unusual taste to return to normal, the press release said.
“I would expect that within a day or two that everything’s going to be back to its normalcy,” said Jarreck Lucke, the utility manager over operations for water supply.
Torrential rains in the Kansas City region
The main concern about runoff is what products have been applied to the land, specifically farmland, Lucke said.
“We had a hard rain come through this area, but that wasn’t what affected us. What affected us was the torrential rain that transpired and overspilled the banks of the Platte River and over at the Grand River,” he said. “So, everything going on in that Missouri basin is what’s going to affect us.”
Ammonia and other natural debris running into water can cause changes in alkalinity, which measures water’s ability to neutralize acids, and turbidity, the clarity of water, Lucke said.
The runoff has a ripple effect, first impacting the communities closest, then spreading through the metro area, he said.
Laboratory staff are monitoring the current condition of the river, and adjustments were made by the department’s water treatment facility, KC Water said.
“Knowing that those constituents are coming through, we’re making sure to add chemicals to drop those out of suspension, and now we’re going to make sure to also add a natural absorbent, which is powder activated carbon,” Lucke said.
The annual Consumer Confidence Report shares yearly findings about water quality, ensuring safety for Kansas City residents. In 2024, there were no contamination violations.
A new normal in stronger storms, taste changes in water
“We have rain events, those are normal. What is not normal is when, let’s say, we have a flash flood event,” Lucke said.
It’s an expectation that runoff will happen seasonally, with heavy rain or when snowpacks melt in the spring, he said.
Climate change is happening, and the impacts are already being seen. Missouri is experiencing an increase in storm intensity, which could cause more frequent flooding and taste changes in water, Lucke said.
“I believe taste and water events are going to possibly transpire more, but we’re also being just as proactive with how we’re starting to see them and look in a predictive model type way,” Lucke said.
The increased severity of weather events is self-evident, but it’s not slowing them down the slightest, he said.
