Annual changeover brings unusual volume of questions for city
ASHEBORO — There has been plenty of curiosity about the status of City of Asheboro water during the past few weeks, but the good news is that there’s really no new news.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” said Bryan Lanier, manager for the city’s water treatment plant.
The city’s annual month-long use of a pure chlorine treatment to help ensure a high level of disinfection in water mains concludes this week – with a return to the standard practices set for Aug. 30. For the other 11 months, a chloramines treatment is used.
So there could have been a slight chlorine color or taste experienced by some customers during the past month, Lanier said.
During this year’s 30-day period, there were more inquiries to the water department about the city’s water.
“We’ve got the most questions about it than any other year,” Lanier said. “To me, (this process) is something so ordinary and normal.”
Lanier said the switchover is an annual process in order to meet state requirements, something the city has done since 1997. He said the city also puts out a notice each year to remind water customers in case they notice a slight change during that time period.
“We don’t know why (there have been more questions this year),” Lanier said. “It’s good that people are paying attention.”
The chloramines treatment is a compound of chlorine and ammonia, resulting in little odor or taste, according to information from the city. Both treatment methods meet requirements set by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The city’s information points out that water users with special health concerns, such as those on kidney dialysis, should seek advice regarding drinking water from a medical professional.
One reason for the uptick in questions could have stemmed from last month’s boil water advisory in Burlington, Lanier said. That situation, which came about because of what turned out to be an isolated E. coli contamination in one spigot, lasted a couple of days. That development received considerable attention at the time.
