Woodbridge, VA – March 26, 2012 – Beginning April 2 through late June, some Service Authority customers may notice a slight chlorine taste and smell in their tap water. Fairfax Water, which treats the majority of the drinking water the Service Authority provides its customers, will use free chlorine as the primary disinfectant in its drinking water treatment process for the next three months. For most of the year, chloramines are used because they present a less prominent taste and smell than free chlorine. Customers who are sensitive to the taste and odor of chlorine can place an open container of tap water in their refrigerators, which enables the chlorine to dissipate. However, customers should replace refrigerated drinking water every two or three days with a fresh supply.

In addition to the conversion to free chlorine, the Service Authority will be flushing the water system through fire hydrants around the county to forcefully draw the chlorinated water through the distribution system, washing out any sediment and minerals that may have collected in the water mains. This standard annual practice is recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Virginia Department of Health as a necessary practice to properly maintain water quality within distribution systems. It also provides an opportunity for the Service Authority to test the nearly 10,000 fire hydrants connected to its system, ensuring that they are well-maintained and fully-functional. The Authority will begin flushing fire hydrants on April 3 2012.

Customers may call the Service Authority at (703) 335-7950 with any questions regarding the temporary change in disinfectants and/or the flushing of the distribution system.

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The Service Authority provides drinking water and water reclamation services
 to approximately 220,000 customers throughout Prince William County.

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