As the City of Turlock replaces old water and sewer lines in the alleys near East Main Street and Sierra Avenue, nearby residents should keep their taste buds on the lookout for any taste of chlorine in the tap water.

In a photo submitted to TurlockCityNews.com, Turlock resident Annie Jeffries says, “Once [the pipes] flushed, the chlorine taste you might have been experiencing in your drinking water is gone.” But the City of Turlock says that residents should not be experiencing any chlorine taste in their water.

“There should be no chlorine in the existing system serving the homes,” said City Engineer Mike Pitcock. “The new lines run parallel to the old line and are only connected in one location, and that location has a backflow device allowing water into the new pipe but does not allow the water to go from the new pipe to the old pipe.”

According to Pitcock, the new line installed by the city has chlorine tablets placed within the pipe that dissolve once the water is added.

“This is done to sterilize the pipe,” said Pitcock. “The chlorinated water sits in the pipe for a few days and then is flushed out and you will smell the chlorine.”

The new pipe is then flushed until there is no chlorine remaining. After a day or two, the pipe is tested by the city to ensure that the line is completely sterilized.

“This process is repeated until the pipe tests negative to contaminants,” said Pitcock. “Once the pipe has passed, the pipe will be connected to the existing system and the old line will be disconnected and abandoned.”

Pitcock says that residents should not taste any chlorine within their water throughout any of the process.

“If anyone is tasting chlorine in their water, we need to know,” said Pitcock. “That should not happen.”

If you are experiencing a chlorine taste within your residential drinking water, contact the City of Turlock Engineering Division at (209) 668-5520, or e-mail engineering@turlock.ca.us.