Chemical Change Will Alter Taste of Water

Beginning Monday, Ventura County residents with discriminating palates may detect a very slight change in the taste of their tap water.

For one month, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will treat its water with chlorine instead of the standard chloramine, an MWD spokesman said Tuesday.

Nearly 500,000 Ventura County residents in Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Oak Park, Moorpark, Camarillo and Oxnard use the imported MWD water.

Spokesman Rob Hallwachs said the changeover occurs annually. He said chlorine does a better job of cleaning algae out of the distribution pipes than chloramine, which is a combination of chlorine and ammonia. Hallwachs said any residues are removed from the water at filtration plants before it is piped to customers.

The change will not affect water quality, Hallwachs said. Until 1985, he said, MWD treated all its water with chlorine, which has a stronger taste and odor than chloramine.

MWD has notified all hospitals and clinics that provide kidney dialysis treatment of the change so they can adjust their equipment, Hallwachs said. He said the change should not affect aquariums.