Why your water may taste different this weekend

The City of West Palm Beach will be doing its annual water line flushing this weekend.

To maintain high water quality in the City's water distribution system, the City of West Palm Beach Public Utilities Department will temporarily modify the disinfection process used to treat our drinking water.

The City will use a somewhat stronger disinfection process to produce chlorine residual instead of a chloramine residual from June 20th to July 22nd, 2016.

The City will also increase hydrant flushing during this time. This is a preventative maintenance process.

Customers served by the City of West Palm Beach Public Utilities Department, [including the Town of Palm Beach, and South Palm Beach], may notice a slight chlorine taste or odor in their tap water during this period. These temporary conditions will not cause adverse health effects.

If you are especially sensitive to the taste or odor of chlorine, keep an open container of drinking water in your refrigerator for a few hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate.

Users of home dialysis machines, owners of tropical fish and managers of stores and restaurants with fish and shellfish holding tanks are advised to seek professional advice as the method for removing chlorine residuals differs from removing chloramine residuals from tap water.

Should you need more information on this change in the water treatment process, please call the City of West Palm Beach Public Utilities Department at (561) 822·1300.