Starting next week, the city of Emporia’s Water Treatment Plant will start a special treatment process.
Officially, the plant will convert the disinfectant from chloramine to free chlorine for about a month. It’s part of the city’s relatively new approach of an annual “burnout” as opposed to making temporary disinfectant changes several times a year.
The water is safe to drink.
The city normally adds ammonia to the water. As it goes through a so-called nitrogen cycle, free ammonia can collect in the far reaches of the water system. This means a loss of chlorine residuals, which can lead to an increased risk of bacterial contamination and possible boil water alerts from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The process is supposed to begin Monday and continue through Oct. 26. Residents may experience taste and odor changes, and they may see fire hydrants getting flushed as a way to move the free chlorine residual through the water system. If you see discolored water, call Public Works at 620-340-6339 ext. 2 and staffers will flush nearby hydrants.
