Cocoa's drinking-water supply may smell, taste like chlorine during disinfecting process
Cocoa's roughly 250,000 water customers may notice the odor and taste of chlorine during a monthlong disinfecting process across central Brevard County.
Starting Saturday, Cocoa utility officials will modify their water treatment chemistry and employ a free-chlorine boost to provide additional protection against microorganism contamination.
This free-chlorine boost will last about four weeks.
“It's, of course, safe. It’s all been approved by (the Florida Department of Environmental Protection). It’s necessary because we need to be able to control the water quality as the warmest season of the year is approaching," Utilities Director Jack Walsh said.
"By making this change temporarily for a couple of weeks, it will help us improve water quality throughout the summer. That's the reason why we did it last year, and that's the reason why we're going to do it again this year," Walsh said.
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Located off rural State Road 520, Cocoa's Claude H. Dyal Water Treatment Plant supplies drinking water to about 85,000 connections in Cocoa, Rockledge, Port St. John, Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, Suntree, Viera, Patrick Space Force Base, Kennedy Space Center and nearby unincorporated Brevard County.
Cocoa’s primary source is groundwater pumped up from the Intermediate and Floridan aquifers. The Taylor Creek Reservoir supplements this supply.
The city implemented a similar free-chlorine boost in March-April 2021. Melbourne, which supplies drinking water for about 170,000 people inside and outside city limits, used the process twice in 2020-21.
If tap water tastes or smells like chlorine, Cocoa officials advise customers to pour water into a container and refrigerate it for a few hours. Or customers can boil water to remove chlorine.
“A lot of people won't even notice the change. It's going to be that subtle," Walsh said. "Some people may smell chlorine more in the water — some people are more sensitive with their smell than others."
People who use kidney dialysis machines or own fish aquariums should take extra precautions.
Customers received informational notices with their April water bills. For more details, visit the FAQ page on the city website or contact Don Downs, utilities conservation and public relations officer, at 321-433-8705 or ddowns@cocoafl.gov.
Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Cocoa drinking water may smell, taste like chlorine during disinfection
