EVANSVILLE — Beginning Aug. 18 and ending on Sept. 29, the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility (EWSU) will switch the disinfectant used in the water treatment process from the regularly used chloramine to free chlorine.
The temporary switch is “a common preventive maintenance practice,” EWSU said in a news release. But the agency acknowledged some customers may notice “a slight change” in the taste or odor of their tap water.
“Free chlorine may have more of a chemical odor, slightly like that of swimming pool water,” EWSU’s news release stated. “Each customer has a sensitivity level to the taste or odor of free chlorine. Many detect no change at all. The mild chlorine taste and odor are typical and pose no health risk.”
It will be the final disinfectant switch of the year, EWSU said. The agency will switch disinfectants again in the spring of 2026.
EWSU’s news release included the following definitions to give context to its announcement:
“Chloramine is a disinfectant used in drinking water to remove bacteria and viruses that can make you sick. It is made up of chlorine and ammonia. EWSU has used chloramine as the disinfectant in its water treatment process since 1999.
“Free chlorine is a slightly more potent disinfectant than chloramine, and it is used to remove more resistant bacteria and viruses that may be found in the water distribution system.”
EWSU said state drinking water guidelines recommend that utilities using chloramine periodically switch to free chlorine to “ensure that a proper disinfectant level is maintained throughout the network of water mains and pipes that deliver your drinking water.”
“Free chlorine is a more aggressive disinfectant than chloramine,” EWSU said. “This temporary change in the water treatment process denies bacteria the ability to form resistance to the usual disinfection treatment process. Switching to free chlorine is a proactive step to maintain optimal disinfectant levels in the water distribution system.”
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: ‘Slight change’ in taste, odor of tap water could be coming soon, Evansville utility says
Reporting by Thomas B. Langhorne, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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