Beginning next month, Brunswick County Public Utilities customers may notice discoloration and sediment in their drinking water as water lines are being flushed.
Utilities staff flush the lines annually by opening fire hydrants and allowing them to flow freely during a short period of time. This method cleans out sediment and helps maintain the more than 1,440 miles of water lines and more than 7,700 fire hydrants in the county’s service area, according to a county notice.
Supporter Spotlight
During the annual flushing program, Brunswick County Public Utilities makes a slight change in its water treatment process as required by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
The water provider adds combined chlorine throughout the year to the water as the primary disinfectant. But, during the flushing program, chlorine is added in an uncombined state, commonly referred to as free chlorine.
“Free chlorine is more effective than combined chlorine at reacting with sediments suspended during flushing,” according to the notice. “This common practice is also used as a preventative maintenance to kill bacteria that, though harmless when consumed by humans, can introduce unwanted taste and odor, and create issues with maintaining a disinfectant residual.”
Free chlorine will be used as the primary disinfectant from Oct. 7 through November.
“Depending on your location within the distribution system and usage patterns, it could take 7 to 10 days for your drinking water to transition from combined chlorine to free chlorine at the beginning of the flushing program,” the notice states. “You may experience a change in the taste or smell of your drinking water while free chlorine is being used as the primary disinfection agent. If you are especially sensitive to the taste and odor of chlorine, try keeping an open container of drinking water in your refrigerator. This will enable the chlorine to dissipate and reduce the taste of chlorine in your water. Remember – drinking water has a shelf life. Change out the water in your refrigerated container weekly.”
Supporter Spotlight
Any customer who has an aquarium or pond is reminded to always test water before adding it to an aquatic environment to ensure the water is chlorine free before adding fish or other animals. Chemical additives to remove chlorine from water are available at pet supply stores.
Questions regarding this process may be directed to Brunswick County Public Utilities at 910-253-2657, 910-371-3490, 910-454-0512, or by contacting your water service provider directly.
