Change In Disenfecting City Water

Editor’s Note: Trenton Municipal Utilities has announced that, effective Tuesday, the water treatment plant will be changing the way it disinfects its water. This is being done to improve compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources regulations. Information about the changes, provided by TMU, is listed below.
by Chad Davis
TMU Director
Chloramines disinfection is not a new technique; in fact it has been used since the early 1900’s. If you have consumed the water of major cities such as Kansas City or St. Louis, you have likely drank chloraminated water. This treatment method has been used for many years because chloramines are more effective over long times in large water systems.
Chloramine disinfection is a process in which a small amount of ammonia is added to the water that has been pretreated with chlorine. Unfortunately chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic matter in water sources and creates “disinfection byproducts” such as trihalomethanes. The alternative method of utilizing chloramines, creates a disinfectant residual that lasts longer and minimizes the formation of these disinfectant byproducts.
Chloraminated water is safe for drinking, bathing, cooking and all other everyday uses. In fact, most people in our community will not need to change anything they do now.
You may have questions about chloramines and their differences and how they may affect you, so below are answers to some common questions:
Are chloramines safe? Yes. Chloraminated water is safe for bathing, drinking, cooking, and all other everyday uses and the use of chloramines is regulated by US EPA and MO DNR very similar to the regulations in place for chlorine.
Why do kidney dialysis patients have to take special precautions? Like chlorine, chloramines in water used for dialysis would be toxic and must be removed. Medical centers performing dialysis are responsible for preparing the water that enters the dialysis machines. Like you, they will be notified when we make the change. If you, or anyone you know, is reliant on kidney dialysis please check with your dialysis provider to make sure they are aware of the changes. We also encourage anyone relying on dialysis to notify TMU to let us know so that when the changes are implemented we can try to make special contact with those impacted.
What will my water taste and smell like? If you notice any change at all and in fact the water may have less of a chlorine odor or taste.
Will there be a noticeable difference in my water? You may notice a temporary variation in water color and possible sediment in the water for a day or two during the conversion process. The effects are similar to those experienced during a water main break and will cease as the system adjusts to the changes.
Can children and pregnant women drink chloraminated water? Yes. Everyone can drink water that contains chloramines. Just as with chlorinated water, it is not recommended that infants be given tap water.
Is it safe to wash an open wound with chloraminated water? Yes. It is completely safe.
How do chloramines affect fish? Like chlorine, chloramines are toxic to fish and must be removed from their water. Two methods can be used to remove chloramines from water: 1) Add specific agents to remove chloramines and ammonia, OR 2) Use a high grade of granular activated carbon to remove chloramines. Your pet store will carry the supplies needed for this change since chloramines are a very common method of water disinfection.
Will chloramines affect swimming pools? No, you will still need to add chlorine to prevent algae and bacterial growth, just as needed for a pool using water with chlorine. Contact your local pool supply store for details.
If you have any questions not answered here concerning the changes being made to your water treatment process, feel free to contact the TMU Water Plant at 359-3121 or Trenton Municipal Utilities at 359-2281.