Taste and Odor Expert Symposium for Large River Sources 2015

Taste and odor are important criteria in determining customer attitudes about drinking water. Although most compounds that cause unfavorable aesthetics in drinking water are not a threat to human health, unpleasant tastes and odors are the most common cause of customer complaints and often play a role when customers choose alternatives like bottled water. A robust, on-going taste and odor management program, including a risk communication plan, is paramount for the efficient and customer-responsive utility.

Conference Presentations

• ​Taste & Odor 101 -- Gary Burlingame, Philadelphia Water Department
• Early warning of taste and odor events -- William Taylor, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (retired)
• Tracking/mining customer complaints and using sensory analyses for predictive power -- Andrea Dietrich, Virginia Tech University
• Analytical methods and lab set up -- Djanette Khiari, The Water Research Foundation
• Risk communication planning -- Lisa Ragain, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments