Pinellas Announces 2nd Water System Maintenance

CLEARWATER, FL – Pinellas County Utilities announced for the second time this year that its water customers may notice a slight difference in the odor and/or taste of their water during a temporary change in water treatment between Tuesday, Sept. 5 and Monday, Sept. 25.

This is the second of two short-term changes from chloramine to chlorine disinfection for 2017 and is a routine maintenance measure designed to optimize water quality, according to the utility department. The first treatment took place between Monday, April 3 and Monday, April 24.

The program will affect Pinellas County Utilities water customers, as well as customers in the cities of Clearwater, Pinellas Park and Safety Harbor.

The disinfection program is designed to maintain distribution system water quality and minimize the potential for any future problems. According to Pinellas County Utilities, there have been no indications of significant bacteriological contamination problems in the system. The water will continue to meet all federal and state standards for safe drinking water, the agency said in a release.

Kidney dialysis patients should not be impacted, according to the county, but should contact their dialysis care provider for more information about chlorine treatment. The county also said fish owners should not be affected if they already have a system in place to remove chloramines, but should contact their local pet supplier with any questions.

Chlorine was used as the primary disinfectant in the water for more than 50 years prior to 2002. Pinellas County switched to chloramine in 2002 to comply with Environmental Protection Agency standards. Many communities using chloramine convert back to chlorine for short periods to maintain system water quality.

For more information, visit www.pinellascounty.org/utilities or contact Pinellas County Utilities Customer Service at (727) 464-4000.

Image via Pinellas County Government Facebook page