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2022/07/05 - Mayor's Column: O'Fallon's Drinking Water

“AN OPEN DOOR TO O’FALLON”
A WEEKLY NOTE FROM MAYOR HERB ROACH


­­­I was recently asked about a chlorine smell in our tap water. O’Fallon’s drinking water is safe and meets all safety criteria placed by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). However, I agree that at times it does have a faint chlorine smell. I want to take a moment to share with you changes that have taken place under Illinois Law and some things that the city is working on to stay in compliance with the State law but lessen the chlorine odor that you may get at times.

The City’s water system is a combined chlorine system since we purchase the water from Illinois American Water, which has a surface water source. The city is required to maintain a minimum combined chlorine residual of 1.0 mg/L throughout the entire system. Prior to the enactment of a new Illinois law in July of 2019, the minimum chlorine residual was only 0.5mg/L.  So, the new law required the city to inject additional chlorine into the water at our permitted injection site at the Public Works Compound near Downtown. The chlorine levels in the system are monitored daily to confirm that they are within the allowable limits specified by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

The weather (heat usually) and proximity to the injection point can cause the smell that some have noticed.

Some have tried to use pool test strips to read the chlorine levels. These test strips do not provide accurate measurements of combined chlorine residual found in drinking water. An IEPA certified and calibrated test device or an IEPA certified lab is needed to perform accurate testing of drinking water.

The city currently has a project budgeted to add two additional chlorine injection points at the Kyle Road and Seven Hills Road Water Towers.  This project is currently under review by the IEPA for construction approval.  Once this project is completed, it will allow the city to lower the amount of chlorine that is injected into the water at the Public Works Compound because we would be able to add additional chlorine at these towers as well, which are further out in the system. This will then lessen the smell of chlorine that you get the closer you are to the existing injection site located at the Public Works Compound.

As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open.