Ozment said most toxic varieties of algae grow in areas that are polluted and that Cedar Lake is not such an area.

Donald Tindell, an associate plant biology professor, said it is not unnatural for the algae to be in the water.

It’s a normal organism that grows in our lake and is often unnoticed until there’s excessive growth, he said.

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Officials say this problem is not unique to Carbondale.

It happens from time to time in any water supply that comes from a lake or reservoir, City Manager Jeff Doherty said.

This is not much consolation to students who notice a bad taste in the water.

It tastes bad severely bad, Tom Beshoar, a junior in forestry from Morris, said.

Ozment said the smell and taste should improve as the city adjusts treatment, but that it may be a few days before the water is back to normal because it takes one to three days for the water already in towers and pipes to be used up.

People at the water plant said it tastes better already, she said.