Illinois American Water to treat water system in August

Illinois American Water Company (IAW) will begin the annual special treatment of their water system on Aug. 4.

IAW will be temporarily changing the type of disinfectant used in the water as they always do this time of year.

Instead of combining the chlorine in the water with ammonia, they will be adding chlorine only. We will be notified when they go back to the normal type of disinfectant in approximately four to five weeks.

The safety of the water will not be affected by this temporary change.

Many water plants use chlorine in the free, uncombined form on a regular basis.

IAW will continue to supply high quality water that meets the requirements of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

There is no need to boil the water.

If an objectionable difference in odor is noticed, then allow water drawn from the tap to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Dialysis patients and renal care facilities should be aware of these changes and adjust their health care practices accordingly.

This change is needed to remove residues that have been collected due to their normal disinfection practices.

Water leaving the plants is usually disinfected with a combination of chlorine and ammonia.

Combining the chlorine with ammonia is beneficial in that it prevents bacterial growth by keeping the chlorine in the water longer. It also prevents disinfection by-product formation and taste/ odor problems.

The use of the ammonia with the chlorine, however, can result in a buildup of amounts of certain chemicals.

These chemicals can be removed or prevented from forming by using free chlorine rather than the combined chlorine for a short time each year.

O’Fallon buys treated water wholesale from the private company, Illinois-American, and then pumps it to all water customers.

Illinois-American will be treating the water prior to its delivery to the city’s pumping station in French Village.

This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 12:17 PM with the headline "Illinois American Water to treat water system in August."