We promise it won’t look quite like this, but do prepare for some changes in your water. Photo by María Helena Carey.
Have you ever turned on your sink and the water is a bit stinky? Well, prepare yourself for some intermittent changes in taste and odors in the next two month. The Washington Aqueduct, the organization that treats and disinfects water for the District, is doing annual spring cleaning the drinking water pipes March 7 through May 2.
The disinfectant in drinking water will temporarily switch from chloramine to chlorine. The disinfectants used switch from chloramine back to chlorine to flush out the water distribution system and improve water quality. During the temporary switch, local water authorities will also conduct system-wide flushing to enhance water quality. This program is a common practice for many U.S. water systems that use chloramine during the majority of the year. The Washington Aqueduct continues to add a corrosion control inhibitor during this temporary switch to prevent lead release.
Individuals and business owners who take special precautions to remove chloramine from tap water, such as dialysis centers, medical facilities and aquatic pet owners, should continue to take the same precautions during the temporary switch to chlorine. Individuals with special health concerns should consult a health care provider on the use of tap water.
DC Water recommends running the cold water tap for approximately two minutes and refrigerating tap water to reduce the chlorine taste and odor. Water filters are also effective for reducing chlorine taste and odor. For more information, please contact DC Water at 202.612.3400.
This process is NOT SAFE!! It has caused catastrophic failure in safe drinking water is many many cities I follow Erin Brockovich and she has been fighting these dumb dumbs all over especially when the people start to get sick, pipes fail etc. ! http://www.frwa.net/uploads/4/2/3/5/42359811/understanding_chloramines_edit.pdf
Thank you Lisa, and I appreciate your concern. Came across this NPR article from a few years ago: http://www.npr.org/2011/01/07/132743638/disinfectant-to-clean-water-has-problems-of-its-own
I also went into the DC Water site and found a FAQ where they address chloramine-related concerns. You can find that link here: https://www.dcwater.com/waterquality/faqs.cfm
(Tap water is not safe for aquarium fish or for dialysis machines, for instance.)
I also found this drinking water report for last year, and while there are particulates in the water, the levels are well below concern limits:
https://www.dcwater.com/waterquality/test_results.cfm
There are a lot of people in DC buying Hydroviv’s water filters that specifically address this. Hydroviv is a DC company, and their systems are installed under the sink for free, and filters all of the water that you use for drinking, cooking, washing food. http://www.hydroviv.com/dc