MONTROSE - Starting next month, Project 7 Water Authority will change how it treats its drinking water.
Starting Aug. 16, Project 7 will use chloramines as a water disinfectant instead of chlorine.
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"This choice was made over a period of several years and it was very well investigated," Waldman said. "Right now we're exceeding the (Safe Drinking Water Act) limits but we know we can do a lot better by making this change. We can have a better quality product."
Using chloramines will reduce trihalomethanes, a byproduct that is formed when chlorine mixes with trace quantities of naturally occurring organic substances, such as leaves, that are found in raw water.
"Chlorine attaches to organic material in the water and it's as effective as a pit bull because it destroys it all, but that makes the trihalomethanes," Waldman said. "The chloramines are more like a German shepherd; they will attack just the live viruses, but they won't continue on chewing up the organic matter and creating trihalomethanes."
Waldman said chloramines are more stable than chlorine, which means they won't have to be distributed into the water system as frequently as chlorine. In most instances, the water won't have as much of a chlorine smell or odor with the use of chloramines.
The new chloraminated water is safe for daily uses such as drinking, cooking, and watering.
"Water filters that use charcoal, like Brita, may need to be changed more frequently because they absorb the chloramines a little quicker," Waldman said.
Like chlorinated water, chloraminated water will still needs to be treated before it can be used in fish aquariums and kidney dialysis machines. While the chlorine dissipates when water sits out over night, which some aquarium owners do to remove the chlorine before adding it to their tanks, chloraminated water does not. Aquarium owners will have to treat the water before using it in their tanks.
"We're going to contact the pet stores so they know what people will need," Waldman said. "In dialysis, my understanding is the blood is kind of washed in water and the water has to be extremely clean or it will affect the blood cells. The water that is used for dialysis is treated at the kidney dialysis center, they just have to make sure they keep using it."
While the switch takes place Aug. 16, it may take a week before the water with chloramines reaches outlying areas such as Log Hill. It's possible that some customers in remote areas may notice a temporary variation in the color and odor of the water while the chloraminated water is being introduced into the system.
"We seriously doubt that will happen, but we wanted to let people know that it could," Waldman said.
Waldman said Project 7 serves about 37,000 customers throughout the city of Montrose, the town of Olathe, Tri-County Water Conservancy District, Menoken Water District, and Chipeta Water District.
Dick Margetts, Project 7's manager, said Project 7 was originally formed in 1977 and the system went online in July of 1980.
"It's (Project 7) a local government entity," Margetts said. "We're a political subdivision of the state of Colorado, which is the same definition as a municipality. The main difference is we don't have the authority to impose a tax of any sort."
For more information on Project 7, call 249-5935.
Contact Mike Robuck via e-mail at
miker@montrosepress.com.
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