Zebra mussels turn Austin's water supply stinky

AUSTIN, Texas – If you're visiting downtown or south Austin and you smell something funny, it's something in their water. Literally. 

Zebra mussels were found in a raw water pipeline at the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, just west of downtown Austin, according to KXAN

Recommended Videos



Austin Water told its customers that the water is safe to drink and there is no boil notice, KXAN reports.

Zebra mussels are a small, destructive invasive species that can spread across Texas by hitching a ride on boats and trailers, according to Texas Invasives.

Residents tell KXAN that their water in downtown Austin "smells like septic or toilet water."

"The water smells like rotten trash when I attempted to shower and brush my teeth," another downtown resident told KXAN.

"I probably wouldn't have thought that much of it except for when [the boil water notice] happened it kind of stopped to make you think, OK, is this safe? And I was like, I don't want to boil water this morning," said Madison Bowen to KXAN, whose water was impacted by the smell in her downtown Austin apartment.

The city is hoping the problem will be resolved soon.