Beginning Nov. 1, the Trenton Water Treatment Plant will begin utilizing free chlorine, or a free chlorine conversion, in its water system. This entails feeding free chlorine instead of chloramines (chlorine combined with ammonia) as the disinfectant leaving the water treatment plant, reads a city release.

This will affect customers of the City of Trenton, Grundy County PWSD No.1, City of Galt, and the City of Spickard. Western Sullivan County customers will also be affected if they are using water from Trenton.

This temporary change will be in place for three to six weeks.

In an effort to educate water customers, the city has release a list of commonly asked questions about free chlorine conversion and their purpose. They are as follows.

• What are the possible noticeable effects?

“There are no associated health risks to the process. During these efforts to improve water quality, there will be times of lower water pressure, possible odor, taste, discoloration, and small particles in the water,” reads the city release. “City of Trenton and/or your water service will attempt to flush the particles, color, and taste and odors from the mains with directional flushing, however there is a possibility that some of the color, odor and tastes will get into your service line.”

• Is my water safe to drink?

“Yes, the City of Trenton Water Department is dedicated to making sure the water is safe to drink and will monitor disinfectant levels continually during the conversion. If you experience odor or taste in your water, it does not mean it is unsafe to drink. Odors are caused by the free chlorine disinfectant cleansing the system. Nuisance issues will go away as the work is completed,” reads the released statement.

• Why is this conversion necessary?

“The City of Trenton and its customer departments are tasked with ensuring that the water in all points of their systems is acceptable to their customers. Over time, minerals and metals, which are naturally present in the water source, can increase and attach to pipe walls, and release when there are changes in pressure, resulting in discoloration and affecting taste,” reads the release. “Other processes such as nitrification and the growth of biofilm can also occur in the water distribution system. This biofilm can cause reduction in the effectiveness of residual disinfectants over time. This free chlorine conversion will help cleanse the pipe walls, reduce the occurrence of nitrification and biofilm, and ensure that we provide quality water for our customers.”

For more information, residents and water customers can contact the Trenton Water Treatment Plant at (660) 359-3211.