For Immediate Release                                             For More Information:

May 1, 2012                                                                Public Works: 485-3381             

City to Make Annual Change in Water Purification

Process for One Month

(VICTORIA, TEXAS) As an annual preventive maintenance measure, the City of Victoria will change its water purification process for about a month to prepare for the upcoming peak summer water usage period. The City of Victoria will change its water disinfection process to use free chlorine from Monday, May 21, 2012 to Friday, June 15, 2012.

This is a standard safety measure recommended for cities using surface water for their primary drinking supply. Victoria’s water supply continues to be rated Superior, the best rating a city can receive in Texas.

“We switched to surface water in 2001 and with that switch we also changed our disinfection process and began using a combination of chlorine and ammonia, called chloramines, to disinfect the water,” said Lynn Short, Director of Public Works. “Chloramines are a weaker, but longer-lasting disinfectant than free chlorine. Regulatory agencies now recommend that surface water systems using chloramines periodically switch back to free chlorine for a short period.”

Free chlorine is the disinfectant used by most systems supplying ground water to its customers. Free chlorine is the disinfectant that Victoria used for many years prior to converting its water supply to surface water in 2001.

Generally there are no noticeable changes in the quality of the water as a result of this temporary change and Victoria’s drinking water will remain safe to drink during the temporary chemical change period. There may be some slight changes in the taste and odor of the water during this period, but no health risks.

The temporary conversion to free chlorine is very important for dialysis providers; they may need to adjust the water treatment for their dialysis machines. All dialysis providers in the area will be contacted about this change. Dialysis patients should contact their health care provider for instructions on changing their pretreatment process.

Anyone conditioning water for fish or aquariums may also need to make changes to their water treatment process. Consult the instruction manual of the aquarium or contact your aquarium retailer for instructions on treating aquarium water during this temporary chemical change.

At the conclusion of the one month period on or around June 15, 2012, the City will convert its water disinfection process back to chloramines. The City will issue another notice to notify its customers and citizens prior to the change.

For more information regarding this temporary disinfection change, please contact Jimmy Roach, Deputy Director of Public Works or Russell Ham, Surface Water Treatment Plant Manager at 485-3380.

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