Bad smelling and foul-tasting water are the two words both the Bethlehem Public Works Department and residents have used to describe the drinking water.

It’s been an issue for weeks. The public works commissioner says they have it under control. However, some people still are sending complaints to the town.

There was an algae bloom just a couple of weeks ago. It was caused by unseasonably warm temperatures and no rain in September and October, according to DPW.

Crews started treating the water and it seemed to be getting better, but DPW Commissioner Paul Penman said they got hit with another shift in temperature, causing the odor to come back.

They started treatment once again and everything is going according to plan, according to Penman. However, people are still complaining about the funky taste and smell.

Penman says that’s because they’ve cleared the reservoir, but many of the thousands of water pipes connected to your homes are still backed up.

“Some people still have a severe odor issue, but we’re working towards those houses. So hopefully in the short term, it will be resolved,” said Penman.

Crews are now flushing the water from the tank at the Vly Creek Reservoir, and doing other system-wide flushes in parts of town.

You can do the same. Just let your faucets run for a couple of minutes on cold water.