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An issue of concern to both utilities and the public is that of metalsin drinking water. The Lead and Copper Rule, which is currently being reassessed, wasdesigned to limit the amounts of these metals in drinking water. An important questionbeing asked by consumers and the water industry is: can consumers be sentinels of waterquality and detect problems at or below regulatory or guideline levels? This study examinedthis question in terms of copper corrosion and the taste of copper in drinking water. The study investigated both copper chemistry and taste. Thirty-six healthyvolunteers participated in taste testing for copper at ten concentrations from 0.1 to 8 mg/L.The results indicate that about 75% of the consumers tested could taste copper below theaesthetic based SMCL of 1 mg/L, but the other 25% could not and some consumers couldnot even taste copper at 8 mg/L which was the highest concentration tested. Thus, someconsumers could be effective sentinels for detecting copper in their tap water, whileothers cannot. Includes 12 references, figure.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 11/01/2005 Number of Pages: 4File Size: 1 file , 150 KB