A difference in taste or smell could be in store for those drinking tap water in St. Pete Beach or South Pasadena during the month of October due to routine maintenance, according to Pinellas County utility authorities.
Beginning Monday, October 1 and running through Friday, October 26, “the method of water treatment for Pinellas County and its wholesale customers will be changed from chloramine to chlorine disinfection” as part of a “routine maintenance measure designed to optimize water quality.”
All residents of Gulfport will be unaffected by this maintenance process because the city contracts with St. Petersburg for tap water, said City Manager Jim O’Reilly.
Documentation from Pinellas County says that “kidney dialysis patients should not be impacted, but [they] should contact their dialysis care provider for more information about chlorine treatment.”
Additionally, the county says “fish owners should not be affected if they already have a system in place to remove chloramines, but [they] should contact local pet suppliers with any questions.”
October’s maintenance is the second of two short-term workflows in 2018. The first occurred in May and June.
“The annual chlorine maintenance process continues to run smoothly every year with increased cooperation and commitment from our customers,” said David Porter, public utilities director, in a September 29 Patch article. “We thank our customers in advance for their patience as maintenance procedures begin.”
According to county documentation, chlorine was used as the primary disinfectant in the water for more than 50 years prior to 2002. The county switched to chloramine in 2002 “to ensure compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency standards.”
The county says that many communities using chloramine routinely convert back to chlorine for short periods of time to maintain system water quality.
For more information, visit pinellascounty.org/utilities or call 727-464-4000.
