Chlorine smell in PSL due to "Free Chlorine" program

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — If you’ve noticed a distinct chlorine odor coming from your tap water in Port St. Lucie lately, you’re not alone. Residents have been reporting a stronger smell, which is due to a routine, yearly initiative by the city’s water department.

The culprit is a program called “free chlorine” treatment. Typically, ammonia is used in conjunction with chlorine at water treatment plants to help neutralize the chlorine’s smell before it reaches your faucet. However, during this “free chlorine” period, the ammonia is temporarily removed from the process.

This might lead some to wonder: Is the water still safe to drink? According to Daniel Burdett, the superintendent of water treatment facilities in Port St. Lucie, the answer is a resounding yes.

Burdett explained the reason behind this annual maintenance. “If you have excess ammonia in the water, it feeds bacteria. So with our system being as large as it is and all the communities that we have throughout the city of Port St. Lucie, we have to do this maintenance program,” said Burdett.

While the presence of ammonia usually helps to eliminate the chlorine smell from your water, its temporary absence during this program allows the chlorine to be more potent and effective at eliminating potential bacteria. This type of “free chlorine” program is a common and necessary practice in many water treatment plants across Florida to ensure water quality.

Despite the potentially unpleasant scent, Burdett stressed that the chlorine is crucial. It plays a key role in killing most of the bacteria that could make residents sick. He emphasized that this 16-day program is essential for maintaining the long-term health and safety of the city’s water supply.

“We want to make sure that we don’t very exceed those maximum containment levels at all, so we’re within those limits and below. We just need to get it throughout our system, make sure that our system stays healthy.”

You might also see open fire hydrants gushing water in various areas of the city. This is part of the testing process, allowing the city to monitor chlorine levels as the treated water flows through the system and reaches homes.

For those bothered by the chlorine smell, putting it in the fridge and stirring it will take out most of the chlorine smell.

The free chlorine program is scheduled to conclude on July 22nd.