Ever wonder what's in your tap water? According to the National Drinking Water Database -  Environmental Working Group, throughout the country, there are over 316 chemicals in tap water. I searched the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility's - 2011 Water Quality Report to see what chemicals were found in Evansville tap water. Everything from Atrazine to NItrate was present. Now, the city is making a change to one of the chemicals found in its tap water.

From the Evansville Water & Sewer Utility: Beginning August 19 and continuing until September 25, the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility will temporarily change the disinfectant used in the water treatment process. EWSU will be using free chlorine rather than chloramines during this time period.

What is Chloramine?
Chloramine is a disinfectant used in drinking water to remove bacteria and viruses that can make you sick. It is made up of chlorine and ammonia. EWSU has used chloramines as the disinfectant in its water treatment process since 1999.

What is Free Chlorine?
Free chlorine is a slightly stronger disinfectant than chloramines, and may be used to remove more resistant bacteria and viruses that may be found in the water distribution system.

Why Would The Evansville Water and Sewer Utility Convert from Chloramines to Free Chlorine?
This brief, scheduled change in disinfectant is a standard water treatment practice to keep water mains clean and free of potentially harmful bacteria throughout the year.
State drinking water guidelines recommend that utilities using chloramines periodically switch to free chlorine for a period of time. The temporary use of chlorine will ensure that a high level of disinfection is maintained throughout the network of water mains and pipes that deliver your drinking water.

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