If your tap water suddenly tastes like dirt, or your kitchen smells like a swimming pool, you are not imagining it. Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority (GSWSA) has written about both changes for its customers: an earthy, musty taste tied to algae in warm, dry weather (GSWSA), and a stronger chlorine taste and odor during its March flushing program (GSWSA). Neither one, by GSWSA’s account, means the water has stopped meeting standards (GSWSA; GSWSA). Below is what each one is, which homes get it, and how to tell a seasonal change from one worth a phone call.
The earthy, musty taste: geosmin from algae upstream
GSWSA’s taste and odor notice says the earthy/musty taste and odor is “harmless” and is caused by geosmin, which is produced by algae and occurs naturally in the environment (GSWSA). The algae bloom forms in upstream reservoirs and impoundments that feed the Bull Creek Regional Water System, which GSWSA places in the Bucksport community (GSWSA).
That upstream water covers a lot of ground. GSWSA’s 2025 water quality report says its source is the Great Pee Dee watershed, which starts in North Carolina and includes Lake Tillery, Blewett Falls Lake and Lake Robinson, among other waters; the plant pumps from Bull Creek, “a branch of the Pee Dee River” (GSWSA).
GSWSA links the blooms to periods of extreme drought and high temperatures and to temperature shifts in the warmer months (GSWSA). It says it treats the water with powdered activated carbon to absorb the taste and odor, and that during these periods the water “continues to meet all standards” (GSWSA).
The pool smell in March: the annual chlorine switch
For most of the year GSWSA disinfects with chloramines, and it has used chloramine as its primary disinfectant since 1993 (GSWSA). GSWSA says one reason for choosing chloramine was less chlorine taste and odor (GSWSA). During the March flushing program it adds free chlorine instead, and because free chlorine is the stronger disinfectant, GSWSA says it “may provide more of a chlorine taste and odor” (GSWSA). For the background on the two chemicals, see chloramine vs. chlorine.
Why switch at all? The City of Conway’s 2024 notice says the change “helps eliminate any bacteria that may have become resistant” to chloramine, and that it had been done for the past ten years (City of Conway). Its 2025 notice calls it a routine annual switch and says a slight chlorine taste or smell is normal (City of Conway).
The 2026 notice named customers west of the Waccamaw River, Little River, the City of Conway, the Town of Loris, the Town of Aynor, Galivants Ferry and Green Sea (GSWSA). Little River was not on the 2025 list (GSWSA). GSWSA says you may notice the change quickly or not for several days to a week, depending on where you are in the system (GSWSA), and its Q&A says the conversion takes about 30 to 45 days to reach the farthest points (GSWSA).
Flushing can also bring brief discoloration or sediment, which GSWSA says is not harmful; it suggests checking your water before doing laundry (GSWSA). If you still taste chlorine outside March, this guide to chlorine taste covers other causes.
| What you notice | Cause, per the utility | When |
|---|---|---|
| Earthy, musty taste or smell | Geosmin from algae upstream of Bull Creek (GSWSA) | Warm months, drought and heat (GSWSA) |
| Stronger chlorine or pool smell | Free chlorine used during flushing (GSWSA) | March (GSWSA) |
| Brief color or sediment | Hydrant flushing (GSWSA) | March (GSWSA) |
Drought and heat in summer 2026
On June 29, 2026, GSWSA said a severe drought had been declared for the Pee Dee River Basin, including Horry, Marion and Dillon counties, and activated its Drought Management Plan effective July 1 (GSWSA). It lifted the plan effective August 1, 2026, while noting that drought conditions remained (GSWSA).
Those two notices are about water use and irrigation hours; neither mentions taste (GSWSA; GSWSA). The link to taste comes from GSWSA’s taste and odor notice, which names extreme droughts and high temperatures as the conditions in which algae blooms can form (GSWSA).
Which water system are you on?
GSWSA runs two surface water plants. Bull Creek Regional serves GSWSA customers plus the City of Conway, Little River, Georgetown County Water and Sewer District, Tabor City and Loris, and North Myrtle Beach buys a portion of its water there (GSWSA). The Myrtle Beach Surface Water Treatment Plant draws from the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, uses conventional and ozone treatment, and supplies Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach (GSWSA). The City of Myrtle Beach says GSWSA supplies its treated tap water (City of Myrtle Beach).
GSWSA’s taste and odor notice is written about the Bull Creek system (GSWSA), and the March flushing list does not name Myrtle Beach (GSWSA). If you are in the city, the Myrtle Beach water quality report guide explains what your own report covers. If you are unsure which plant feeds your street, your utility can tell you.
When a taste or smell is not seasonal
EPA’s WaterSense guide notes that most harmful contaminants do not change how water tastes or smells, and suggests testing or contacting your utility if you notice a change (US EPA WaterSense). EPA’s nuisance-chemical guidance links some tastes and smells to specific causes (US EPA):
- Rotten eggs: listed by EPA as an odor problem (US EPA). If you smell it only in hot water, Penn State Extension says the water heater may be the source (Penn State Extension).
- Metallic: linked to copper, iron, manganese, zinc, low pH or corrosive water (US EPA).
- Salty: linked to chloride, sulfate or high total dissolved solids (US EPA).
- Chemical smells: listed by EPA as an odor problem (US EPA). A fuel or solvent smell is not a seasonal change GSWSA has described, so call right away.
GSWSA asks customers to report odor, taste or discoloration to Field Communications at (843) 234-8460 (GSWSA). If you are on a private well, none of the utility notices above apply to you; see our Horry County well water guide instead.
What helps at home
For chlorine taste: GSWSA suggests keeping an open container of drinking water in the refrigerator so the chlorine can dissipate (GSWSA). EPA WaterSense says a day or two in an open pitcher in the fridge reduces chlorine taste and odor (US EPA WaterSense). More on chlorine in tap water.
For taste and odor generally: CDC says activated carbon filters, including many pitcher and refrigerator filters, improve the taste and smell of water (CDC), and EPA WaterSense says activated carbon is commonly used in filters to improve taste and odor (US EPA WaterSense). CDC also cautions that a whole-home filter that removes chlorine or other disinfectants can let more germs grow in your plumbing, and that filters need to be changed on the maker’s schedule (CDC). That trade-off is worth talking through before choosing whole-house filtration.
For chloramine: it is harder to remove. GSWSA says a carbon filter must use high quality granular activated carbon with sufficient contact time, that chloramine may pass through a reverse osmosis membrane, and that most softeners are not designed to remove it (GSWSA). Letting water sit is not enough either: GSWSA says chloramine “may take weeks to disappear” (GSWSA). So if you are considering reverse osmosis for drinking water, ask how the system handles chloramine. Our chloramine guide has more. EPA says water with chloramines that meets its standards is safe for drinking, cooking and bathing (US EPA).
Not sure what you are tasting?
If the taste does not match the season, start with your utility. If you want a second look, we offer a free in-home water test. It is a screening at your tap, not a lab analysis, so for regulated contaminants like lead, nitrate or bacteria a certified laboratory test is the way to confirm. You can book one on our Horry County water testing page.
Sources
- GSWSA: Bull Creek Regional Water System – Taste and Odor Issues (undated)
- GSWSA: Public Notice - Flushing Water Lines in the Western Part of Horry County (March 2026) (January 26, 2026)
- GSWSA: Public Notice - Flushing Water Lines in the Western Part of Horry County (January 29, 2025)
- GSWSA: Frequently Asked Questions for Water Line Flushing and the Conversion to Free Chlorine from Chloramines (undated)
- GSWSA: Frequently Asked Questions About Chloramine Water Disinfection (undated)
- City of Conway: PUBLIC NOTICE - Annual Water System Flushing Program (March 2024)
- City of Conway: PUBLIC NOTICE: Annual Water System Flushing (March 2025)
- GSWSA: Drought Management Policy Update (June 29, 2026)
- GSWSA: Customer Response to Water Usage Leads to Lift on Drought Management Plan (July 30, 2026)
- GSWSA: Water Treatment Plants (undated)
- GSWSA: 2025 Water Quality Report, Bull Creek Regional Water System
- City of Myrtle Beach: Did you know... That Myrtle Beach’s treated tap water is classified as "soft?" (undated)
- GSWSA: Water Leaks, Low Pressure, Odor, Taste, and Discoloration (undated)
- US EPA: Secondary Drinking Water Standards: Guidance for Nuisance Chemicals
- US EPA: Chloramines in Drinking Water
- US EPA WaterSense: Guide to Selecting Water Treatment Systems (November 2024)
- CDC: About Choosing Home Water Filters (reviewed April 10, 2024)
- Penn State Extension: Hydrogen Sulfide (Rotten Egg Odor) in Water Wells
Frequently asked questions
Why does my Myrtle Beach area tap water taste like dirt?
GSWSA says an earthy or musty taste in its Bull Creek system comes from geosmin, produced by algae upstream, and that it is harmless. It treats the water with powdered activated carbon when this happens.
Why does my water smell like chlorine in March in Conway or Horry County?
GSWSA switches from chloramines to free chlorine during its March flushing program, which can bring more chlorine taste and odor. The 2026 notice covered areas west of the Waccamaw River, Little River, Conway, Loris, Aynor, Galivants Ferry and Green Sea.
Is the water safe during the taste changes?
GSWSA says the water continues to meet all standards during algae-related taste changes and is maintained safe for consumption during flushing. If you have a specific health concern, ask your utility or your doctor.
How do I get rid of the chlorine taste?
GSWSA and EPA WaterSense both suggest keeping drinking water in an open container in the refrigerator so the chlorine can dissipate. Activated carbon filters also improve taste and smell, according to CDC.
Does letting water sit remove chloramine?
Not quickly. GSWSA says chloramine may take weeks to disappear and recommends high quality granular activated carbon with enough contact time.
Who do I call about a strange taste or smell?
GSWSA customers can report odor, taste or discoloration to Field Communications at (843) 234-8460. Customers of other utilities should call their own utility, and private well owners should test their well.