The City of Salem will be temporarily switching to free chlorine in its drinking water system beginning on September 16 and continuing until further notice.
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 customers; however, some may notice a slight change in the taste or smell of their tap water. At all times during this process, water will continue to meet local, state, and federal standards for clean water and be safe for drinking, bathing, cooking, and all other purposes.
The City of Salem will begin flushing hydrants as part of the system maintenance program on or around September 21. Water may be temporarily discolored during the flushing process, but is safe for consumption.
The city says that it maintains the highest standards to ensure that clean, high-quality drinking water is delivered to customers, and that water meets federal, state, and local primary drinking standards.
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Jason Weber, City of Salem Water Plant, at (618)-548-7788.
