NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The heat and the drought have finally caught up with Nashville. Metro Water Services is asking everyone to cut back on their water use.

Video: Some Nashville Residents Experience Foul-Tasting Water

Some easy ways to do that are to water your lawn every other day, fix any leaks and turn off running water when you're brushing your teeth or shaving.

A few other ways to cut back are installing low flow shower heads and toilets, taking showers no longer than five minutes and sweeping off sidewalks and driveways instead of using a hose.

Algae Growths Causing Foul-Tasting, Smelling Water

This request comes at a time where some people are trying to stomach the taste and smell of the water coming out of their taps.

East Nashville resident Brenda Coons is trying to stay cool with the record-high temperatures but said her tap water is not drinkable.

"I went to get myself a glass of ice water, and I turned the faucet on and a terrible smell came out. I took a drink and there was a nasty taste, and I had to spit it out," said Coons.

Metro Water Services said the growth of blue-green algae in the Cumberland River is the root of the problem.

"That algae can produce a musty or earthy smell in the water," said Sonia Harvat of Metro Water.

Lucia Peyton also lives in east Nashville, but she said she uses her tap water only to wash dishes.

She drinks filtered water from her fridge and has never even noticed anything wrong with the water from her sink.

"I took a taste of it right now; I'm not noticing a foul taste," said Peyton.

Metro Water said the problem has been random, occurring in one neighborhood one day and a different one the next. The water supply is being treated with powder-activated carbon.

"Due to the drought, the high water temperature of the river is not allowing us to win that battle," said Harvat.

The water is safe to drink. Metro Water officials said the best way to get rid of the smell and taste is to put it in the refrigator and let it get cold.

In the meantime, Coons is buying bottled water and said the problem can't be fixed soon enough.

Metro Water officials have put together a taste and odor panel. A group of five employees taste, sniffs and rates water samples.

If there is a nasty taste or bad smell, it is then sent to a lab to determine how much carbon needs to be added to the water supply.