From West Virginia American Water:
KANAWHA VALLEY CUSTOMERS: Over the past week, several customers have contacted us about noticing an increased chlorine or “bleach” smell in their tap water.
Chlorine is added to water for our customers’ protection and is used as a disinfectant to ensure that harmful organisms, such as bacteria and viruses, are destroyed in the treatment process.
An increased chlorine odor is typically associated with disinfectants reacting with organic materials in water (like decaying leaves), and is NOT an indication that the levels of disinfectant are too high.
Last week, the Army Corp of Engineers released additional water from the Sutton Dam upstream on the Elk River, which caused operators at our Gassaway and Kanawha Valley water treatment plants to adjust treatment in response to the increased organic material.
Our water quality staff continue to test water samples throughout our systems and have confirmed that levels of disinfection are within the required range. West Virginia American Water remains in regulatory compliance with all water quality parameters meeting acceptable range. Our field operations staff have flushed hydrants in areas where we have received odor complaints, and our water treatment staff continue to monitor river conditions in anticipation of the conditions returning to normal.
Further contributing to this issue is the fact that during winter months when the water is much colder, air bubbles are more easily trapped in tap water and can also contribute to the smell being more noticeable as those entrapped air bubbles are released and reach our noses.
For more information on chlorine taste and odor, and ways you can remove chlorine from your tap water, visit us here: https://amwater.com/wvaw/water-quality/water-safety