31 Mar OWASA Completing 2021 Temporary Change in Water Treatment
OWASA will complete its annual switch to using chlorine to disinfect drinking water and return to using chloramines at 8 a.m. on Thursday, April 1, 2021. However, customers may notice continued chlorine taste and odor in early-to-mid April because some water treated with chlorine remains in the water distribution system.
Throughout the year, OWASA uses a combination of chlorine and ammonia, known as chloramines, to disinfect drinking water. But, in March, we only use chlorine for the disinfection process. This change was only for the month of March and has no impact on the safety of the drinking water.
The change in treatment process is recommended by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and is standard practice among water providers, including neighboring utilities.
Dialysis patients and aquarium owners should continue to take special precautions to remove traces of ammonia and chlorine from the water prior to use. To learn more about the community’s water supply and treatment, click here.