Chlorine maintenance scheduled for North Texas water transmission systems

(WYLIE, TX — March 8, 2017) The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) has scheduled a chlorine maintenance that will be conducted on the NTMWD Wylie, Tawakoni, and Bonham water transmission systems and customers’ distribution systems for the 28-day period of March 13, 2017 through April 10, 2017. Annually, NTMWD performs chlorine maintenance prior to the warm months of the year.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) allows water suppliers to perform chlorine maintenance to help reduce the need for water suppliers to flush systems in order to maintain chloramine residuals (required by the TCEQ) during the warm weather periods, thus conserving water. The flushing of water lines, during warm weather periods, maintains water quality to ensure the water supply is safe for human use and consumption.

The NTMWD utilizes chloramines, a combination of chlorine and ammonia, to provide the disinfectant residual in the transmission and distribution systems as required by the TCEQ. Chloramines provide a longer lasting residual disinfection in water pipelines and storage facilities. During the chlorine maintenance period, the disinfection residual consist of chlorine alone without the ammonia.

NTMWD continuously monitors water quality to ensure it meets or exceeds state and federal standards. If water tests indicate the disinfectant concentration has dissipated to levels that would affect water quality, water suppliers will flush the water within the pipes so that water with a higher level of disinfectant is present. Water providers must maintain water quality that is safe for human consumption and use.

The chlorine maintenance does not have a negative effect on water quality; the water remains safe for use and consumption. During the chlorine maintenance period, consumers who are sensitive to odor or taste changes in the water might notice a stronger smell or taste of chlorine. This odor and palatability change does not alter the quality of the drinking water provided to consumers.

For additional information, please refer to the chlorine maintenance fact sheet and the NTMWD water quality reports at the links below:
ntmwd.com/fact-sheets/.

Submitted press release.

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