PWC Conducts Annual Water Treatment Change During March

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February 27, 2006

Beginning Wednesday, March 1, 2006 the Public Works Commission will temporarily stop adding ammonia to its water treatment disinfection process. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources requires all water systems that add ammonia to their drinking water to discontinue its use for a one-month period annually to ensure that any biological growth that may have occurred within the distribution system is controlled. The Public Works Commission will resume adding ammonia to the water treatment disinfection process on Saturday, April 1, 2006.

During March some users of water may experience chlorine odor as a result of this change in our treatment process. Some users of water may also experience periods of discolored water a result of the total system flushing that will accompany this change back to chlorine-only disinfection.

Water customers should be aware that during March, there could still be traces of ammonia in the water. Therefore, PWC recommends that water customers continue to follow procedures to remove chloramines prior to the water being used in fish aquariums and ponds, kidney dialysis and some commercial manufacturing of food and beverage.

The Public Works Commission began adding ammonia to the water treatment process in March of 2003. Using ammonia in the treatment process helps to reduce disinfection by-products such as trihalomethanes. The one-month return to chlorine-only disinfection is not expected to cause any significant increases in disinfection by-products. The Public Works Commission has been in compliance with all disinfection by-product limits since beginning the addition of ammonia in March of 2003.

Customers with questions about this required procedure may contact PWC at 910-483-1382.