Pool smell in Miami-Dade tap water is just county cleaning pipes

The pool odor and strange taste of your tap water is temporary as the county’s Water and Sewer Department uses a different type of chlorine for its annual cleaning of pipes and treatment plants.

Call it Eau de MIA, a bold fragrance that opens with sharp top notes of bleach, complemented by a heart of disinfectant and softened by faint ammonia base notes. The dry down smells like a freshly chlorinated pool.

Miami-Dade residents might catch a whiff of chlorine in their tap water starting on Sunday, when the county’s Water and Sewer Department is scheduled to begin its annual deep cleaning process in thousands of miles of pipes. From Nov. 8-21, the department will use free chlorine instead of the standard combined chlorine, known as chloramine, for the intensive cleaning treatment.

“We do this every year to make sure our pipes are super clean, so we use a different type of chlorine for two weeks,” said Jennifer Messemer-Skold, spokeswoman for the water and sewer department. “We just want to stress that there are no health risks or adverse effects from this process, and let people know that the water will be safe to drink, even if it has a stronger smell.”

During that time, the department’s 2.3 million clients may also notice a strange taste in the water. It won’t make anyone sick, and it’s only temporary, Messemer-Skold said. Free chlorine is a stronger disinfectant and bleaching agent than the chloramine used 50 weeks of the year — that’s why users will probably notice the difference.

Though the water will be safe to drink, dialysis patients, owners of tropical fish and restaurants and stores with fish tanks are advised to seek professional guidance on using the water with free chlorine during that time, she said.

WASD crews will be flushing water lines throughout the county during these two weeks, which may result in intermittent periods of lower water pressure. Instances of cloudy water are also possible, so users should let the water run for a few minutes until it runs clear.