The Town of Hillsborough’s drinking water remains safe to drink despite recent reports of changes in taste and smell.

Town staff have conducted additional testing — with assistance from Orange Water and Sewer Authority — to determine the cause of the different taste. Hot, slow-moving water in the Eno River and an increase in algae upstream of the town’s water intake were identified causes for the change in taste and smell.

To resolve the problem, Hillsborough Water Treatment Plant staff have increased the carbon in the plant’s filtration process to improve the aesthetics of the finished water. Water distribution crews also may flush water lines in impacted areas.

Utilities staff have been limiting water use to the extent possible due to the exceptional drought that Orange County and surrounding areas are experiencing. Algal blooms usually peak in the late summer or early fall when temperatures are warm and rainfall is low.

The Utilities Department has budgeted funds in Fiscal Year 2027, which starts July 1, to proactively test for geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol, organic compounds produced by blue-green algae that create a musty, earthy taste or smell. These two compounds are not harmful to human health, and the Environmental Protection Agency does not consider elevated levels of the compounds to be a water quality violation.

For more information about the town’s water, its source and the water treatment process, see the About Water page. The page includes tips on how to remove chlorine taste and odor from water, which can also be useful now. The tips are in the Annual Chlorine Disinfection section.