MONROE, LA – The City of Monroe water treatment officials reported that a certain smell and look of the tap water is possible. Starting Feb.14, 2022, the city adjusted the chemicals used to treat the city water from chloramines to straight-free chlorine. In approximately one day, changes are expected to show on the tap water and the residents could notice it.
Chloramines are a mixture of ammonia and chlorine, which creates a film that can harbor bacteria over time. The cleaning process has been done for eight years to clean the film and bacteria from the water treatment system.
If there is concern among the residents, the Water Treatment Supervisor Daren Johnson advised: “You can actually run you some water in an open container. Stick it in an icebox for an hour or so. It should gas up, the water should be fine. If you have filters, they should take them out. But if you do are using filtration, make sure they are NSF approved. And make sure you do follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on how to backwash and replace these filters if needed.”
The chemicals will be in the system for a few months to clean the system of any possible contaminants. Johnson said they will revert to the other chemicals in April.
The City’s Water Service Department is open for any concerns that residents may have.
