Why Will Water In Hillsborough County Smell And Taste Funny?

 If you notice that your water in Hillsborough County smells or tastes different this week, you’re not imagining things. Your senses are working.

The change in taste and smell will be slightly different. But it’s due to maintenance. The Tampa Water Department reported that there will be routine maintenance taking place beginning Monday. This maintenance is an important process that takes place periodically and helps preserve water quality. During the maintenance, the Tampa Water Department switches from monochloramine to chlorine. It’s going to take a couple of weeks for this process to take place. Expect the difference to be there from September 16 through October 7.

Don’t fret. This isn’t an unusual process and it isn’t specific to Tampa. It’s a maintenance process that takes place around the country. Chlorine is used, essentially to act as a disinfectant in the water systems. It ensures that bacteria doesn’t grow and affect water systems.

There are some steps you can make to make the change less noticeable or more palatable. First off, turn on the water and then run the tap for a few minutes before you use it. Second of all, if you’re going to fill a pitcher with water, do so, and then let it sit out for an extended period of time, possibly several hours. This will cause any abundance of chlorine to evaporate. Finally, it might be a good time to add a carbo filter to your home. You could install one in kitchen faucets or bathroom faucets. If you have old filters, now is the time to replace them with new filters.

You'll have to keep an eye on it and see if you notice any changes in the smell or taste of you water in Tampa Bay.