The city is performing water system maintenance through Oct. 10.
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — If your water smells or tastes slightly different in the coming weeks, don’t be alarmed; Pinellas County officials say it’s still safe to drink.
Beginning Sept. 21, the county will be performing routine water system maintenance, which involves temporarily switching the water from chloramine to chlorine in order to improve the water quality.
This story continues below.
According to Pinellas County Utilities, water will continue to meet all federal and state standards while the water disinfection process is temporarily changed.
“This is normal and carries no negative health effects for the general population,” the Pinellas County Utilities website reads.
But as a precaution, kidney dialysis patients should contact their care provider for more information about chlorine disinfection. The county also notes that fish owners should contact local pet suppliers with any questions, especially if the fish tank already has a system to remove chloramines.
Utility officials say water pressure and service should not be impacted by this temporary change, and that this semiannual switch should minimize the potential for any future problems in the water system.
The maintenance is expected to last until Oct. 10.
So far, the county says there have been no indications of significant bacteriological contamination problems in the system. Pinellas County Utilities water customers are expected to benefit from the maintenance, as well as customers in Belleair, Clearwater, Pinellas Park and Safety Harbor.
Pinellas County Utilities says this method of water quality maintenance “serves as an alternative to flushing millions of gallons of drinking water,” adding that this method continues to reduce flushing volumes.
For more information, you can visit pinellas.gov/utilities or call Pinellas County Utilities Customer Service at 727-464-4000.