Lee County drinking water to change in May

FORT MYERS, Fla. The water might taste, smell and look different next month if you live in Lee County.

Lee County Utilities will be converting their disinfectant process from chloramines to free chlorine residual from May 1 to May 29, according to a county government press release.

The water won’t be harmful, and the change is just a routine precautionary measure to guarantee clean water, county spokesperson Betsy Clayton said. The measure is common among water utilities that use chloramines as a primary disinfectant.

“Throughout most of the year, chloramines, also known as combined chlorine, are added to the water as the primary disinfectant,” county spokesman Tim Engstrom said. “To flush the system, chlorine is added in an uncombined state, often called free chlorine. Free chlorine is not as stable as chloramines, which allows it to react with free ammonia and assist with the breakdown of bio-films.”

Still, residents who use a kidney dialysis machine are advised to contact their supplier in advance to request the proper filtering equipment, Clayton said. Aquatic animal owners are also advised to contact a local fish store for the appropriate treatment.

Customers with questions can call 239-533-8845 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.