The City of Salem will be temporarily switching to free chlorine in its drinking water system beginning Thursday, May 6th. The switch is until further notice but is expected to last about four weeks.
City-wide flushing of fire hydrants is expected to start Monday, May 17th.
Free chlorination is a regularly scheduled preventive maintenance procedure for water systems using combined chlorination (chloramines) for disinfection. The City expects the free chlorination period to be transparent to our customers. However, some may notice a slight change in the taste or smell of their tap water. At all times during this process the water will continue to meet local, state, and federal standards for clean water and is safe for drinking, bathing, cooking, and all other purposes.
The City of Salem maintains the highest standards to ensure that clean, high quality drinking water is delivered to our customers. The City’s water meets federal, state, and local primary drinking standards.
Customers are reminded not to wash white or light-colored clothing while water is discolored. If you have any questions or need further information please contact Jason Weber, City of Salem Water Plant, at (618)-548-7788.
