The Brief
- Pinellas County Utilities has temporarily switched its water treatment process from chloramine to free chlorine for the next few weeks.
- The routine maintenance process, which occurs twice a year, will continue through Oct. 10.
- Officials say the water remains safe to drink, though customers may notice a chlorine smell.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Pinellas County Utilities customers may notice a chlorine smell in their tap water over the next several weeks as the county begins its routine semiannual water treatment transition.
Is it safe to drink?
What they’re saying:
County officials stressed that the water remains safe to drink. The temporary switch from chloramine to chlorine disinfection is a preventative maintenance measure designed to clean out water pipes and prevent bacterial growth.
Matthew Wotowiec, the water quality division director for Pinellas County Utilities, said the county does this twice a year to maintain system integrity, and has been doing it for more than 25 years.…