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Pinellas County water customers may notice a change in drinking water next week

 
Published Aug. 28, 2013

The drinking water in Pinellas County might taste a little different next month due to a temporary change in the way the county treats water.

From Sept. 3-23, Pinellas will switch from a chloramine disinfection system to one that uses chlorine, the same chemical disinfectant that the county used for decades before it switched to chloramine in 2002 to comply with Environmental Protection Agency standards.

The short term switch is common in municipal water utilities, county officials said, and is considered "routine maintenance." Water pressure should not be affected and the change should not have an impact on kidney dialysis patients or residents who have pet fish and own filtration systems.

"The only noticeable change may be a slight difference in the taste and/or odor of the water," county officials wrote.

The change will affect Pinellas County water customers, as well as residents of Clearwater, Pinellas Park, Safety Harbor, and Tarpon Springs.