Cleaning makes city water safer

City officials will clean Morgan City’s water system throughout the next two to three weeks as part of a proactive approach to ensure the quality of the city’s drinking water, according to a city news release.
This initiative will make sure the water provided continues to meet or exceed any state standards, the news release said.
City leaders decided to work in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals to go ahead and cleanse the system, Grizzaffi said.
“This will help prevent any chance of anything happening to our system,” he said.
The city gets its water from the Atchafalaya River and Intracoastal Waterway, Grizzaffi said.
To cleanse the water system, the city is temporarily switching from using chloramines to free chlorine as a disinfectant. The switch began Monday and will last for 14 to 21 days. If a longer duration is required, then the water system will continue to use free chlorine as long as necessary.
Though the type of disinfectant is temporarily changing, the amount of disinfectant put in the water will remain the same.
In an email, Department of Health and Hospitals Spokeswoman Ashley Lewis said the department requires public water systems to disinfect drinking water to protect the public from disease causing microorganisms.
Chlorine and chloramines are commonly used disinfectants water suppliers use to kill bacteria in drinking water, Lewis said.
“If the disinfectant residual is too low, microorganisms can potentially grow in the distribution piping. Free chlorine is proven to be more effective in killing organisms within the pipes of the distribution system,” Lewis said.
City officials will continue to monitor the chlorine levels throughout the water system.
There is no need to boil your water or take other actions, city officials said. If there had been an emergency, residents would have been notified immediately.
During the temporary switch, customers may notice a chlorine taste or odor in their drinking water. Chlorine levels will continue to meet EPA standards and are not a health risk.
If customers notice a chlorine taste or odor, residents are advised to do the following:
—Run the cold water tap for several minutes when water is not used for several days.
—Collect and refrigerate cold tap water in an open pitcher. Be sure to collect water after running the cold water tap for two minutes. Within a few hours, the chlorine taste and odor will disappear.
—Water filters can reduce chlorine taste and smell. Be sure to use a filter certified that meets National Sanitation Foundation standards and replace the filter cartridge as recommended by the manufacturer.
Customers who normally take special precautions to remove chloramine from tap water, such as dialysis centers, medical facilities and aquatic pet owners, should continue to take the same precautions during the temporary switch to chlorine, the release said. Most methods for removing chloramine from tap water are also effective in removing chlorine, the release stated.