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City of Midland on third annual chlorine maintenance starting June 1

The city of Midland is on their third annual chlorine maintenance. Some residents don't like the sound of it. "I don't think it's safe," said a Midland resident. "When I found out they were gonna do that flush, you cringe." "We don't drink the water. We just go buy water," said another resident. The city said the maintenance is used to disinfect water from lakes, rivers and ground water. The key ingredient used in the routine is chloramine which i...
The city will flush fire hydrants to keep water flowing through the biofilm. (Source: KWES)

MIDLAND, TX (KWES) - The city of Midland is on their third annual chlorine maintenance. Some residents don't like the sound of it.

"I don't think it's safe," said a Midland resident. "When I found out they were gonna do that flush, you cringe."

"We don't drink the water. We just go buy water," said another resident.

The city said the maintenance is used to disinfect water from lakes, rivers and ground water. The key ingredient used in the routine is chloramine which is a combination of chlorine and ammonia. This is what is used to clean the city's water supplies.

"The reason we use ammonia with chlorine is because it ensures we have the right amount of chlorine all the way to the system," said Sara Bustilloz of the City of Midland. "From the time it leaves the water plant all the way to the end of the line to houses on the other side of town."

They said the routine will help clean out the biofilm that forms inside the water line. Biofilm builds up when drought continues. People cut down on their water usage or if it's warm outside.

"We're not adding any chlorine," said Bustilloz. "It actually taking the ammonia out of the process because free chlorine is a lot stronger than chloramine."

The city said the water can still be consumed. However, some residents said they are able to taste a hint of chlorine in the water.

The city of Midland must follow guidelines by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality before performing the procedure. They said there will be more fire hydrant flushing because this keeps the water moving through the line.

"When chloramine sits too long in the system, that's what causes biofilm to form inside the pipe," said Bustilloz.

The city said they have been able to make changes to make sure they don't face any violations. If you want to reduce the taste or smell of the chlorine, you can boil the water, use an RO system or a carbon filter on your shower head. If you are using a kidney dialysis machine, make sure you check with your equipment supplier.

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