Officials: Punta Gorda water safe to drink, not toxic

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WINK News

The reason why Punta Gorda’s residents water smell and tastes a little weird is because of the algae blooms in the water.

Algae blooms were detected at the Shell Creek Reservoir Monday.

“We started receiving calls from our residents stating that they detected a slight odor in their water,” said Chief Water Plant Operator Susan Haslinger.

Crews have started treating the water, as well at the reservoir itself, to kill any remaining algae.

The city says the algae is not toxic to people or pets, and bloom can happen from time to time.

“We didn’t have rain for a very long period of time, and those are things that unfortunately happen when you have a surface water plant,” Haslinger said.

The city says the algae appears to be going away.

Punta Gorda residents may still notice an odor, or an odd taste over the next few days.

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