Tampa Residents May Notice Change In Water Taste, Odor

TAMPA, FL – The City of Tampa is warning its residents their tap water may have a different taste or odor for two weeks this month.

The Tampa Water Department is changing its disinfection method for its customers between Monday, Oct. 16 and Monday, Oct. 30. During this time, the department will switch from chloramine to chlorine disinfection.

According to the City of Tampa, this conversion is a standard water system maintenance procedure to optimize water quality without flushing the system and losing millions of gallons of drinking water.

The level of chlorine will be 2.5 to 3.5 milligrams per liter for most customers, according to the City of Tampa. This is the same level of chlorine the city used to treat its water for more than 50 years before converting to chloramine disinfection in the 1980s, according to a press release.

City officials said the Water Department will conduct daily testing to monitor water quality and assess the effectiveness of the disinfectant change.

According to the City of Tampa, health care officials said kidney dialysis patients should not be impacted by the chlorine treatment. However, anyone with special health concerns is advised to contact their health care provider.

Also, the City of Tampa said people who have pet fish who already have a chloramine removal system from a tank or pond water should not be affected. Anyone with questions about aquarium maintenance should contact their local pet care provider.

For more information, contact the City of Tampa Utilities at (813) 274-8811 option 3 or visit www.TampaGov.net/watermaintenance.

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