Tap water may taste, look odd as Raleigh begins weeks-long disinfection process

Over the next several weeks, the water coming out of Triangle residents’ faucets may look, smell or taste differently.

A water disinfection process begins Thursday, Feb. 27, and will continue through Thursday, April 10. The process is recommended by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, and water utilities are required by law to disinfect the water distribution system yearly. 

According to Raleigh Water, customers of several Triangle water utilities, including Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Apex, Morrisville and the Orange Water and Sewer Authority, will notice changes as these facilities conduct the annual disinfection process.

 During the weeks-long change, utilities will switch from using ammonia and chlorine in water to chlorine only.

“We do this every year,” Kimberly Holmes-Iverson, a spokesperson for Raleigh Water, said. “It’s to ensure that our distribution system is clean. We want to make sure that the water everyone drinks or the water everyone uses is safe to use, so we have to make sure that all of our pipes and all of our equipment and everything is clean.”

Holmes-Iverson reassured the water is safe to drink and bathe in. Customers can run the water for several minutes before use if the color bothers them. 

“If you’re washing your white clothes and you notice your water is slightly discolored go ahead and let your tap run a few minutes and that should help with that,” Holmes-Iverson said. “Beyond that, I can’t stress it enough. The water is safe to drink. The water is safe. The water is safe to offer your pets. It’s safe to use to water your plants. It’s safe to bathe in.

Find more information on the city of Raleigh website.