NORTH TEXAS (WBAP/KLIF News) – The North Texas Municipal Water District is urging residents not to worry if they smell chlorine in their water over the next few days as the district performs its annual maintenance on the water supply.
The NTMWD wants residents and business owners in the 80 communities it serves to know that the smell is the result of a temporary change in practice and that the water is safe to drink.
According to a release, the NTMWD said it will temporarily change the disinfectant in its water treatment process which started March 4 and ends April 1st of this year.
Disinfection involves a two-step process that first treats the water at the treatment plant and then choloramine disinfectant, chlorine and ammonia, is added to maintain water quality as it’s filtered out to homes and business.
The district said during the temporary change, will stop adding ammonia and only use free chlorine to keep the water disinfected which causes the heightened smell.
During the temporary change last year, hundreds of people expressed concern over whether the water was safe to drink because of the chlorine smell. There were so many complaints, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality stepped in.
Watershed Manager Galen Roberts told our media partner WFAA TV the district was always in compliance.
“That investigation found that we had no violations, we were in full compliance with state and federal security standards,” he said.
To minimize any “odors, tastes or sensitivities” from the chlorine, the district suggests placing a pitcher of water in the refrigerator overnight or adding a slice of citrus to the water.
The NTMWD also said cities and districts it serves can also help move chlorine-disinfected water through the system by flushing water from fire hydrants.
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