ANDERSON, SC - The Anderson Regional Joint Water System is currently planning a switch to the “MIOX Disinfection System.” The switch will take place during the week of October 22, 2007. This new system will be a more efficient and powerful antibacterial disinfectant with less chlorine taste and odor than the current system...
ANDERSON, SC - The Anderson Regional Joint Water System is currently planning a switch to the “MIOX Disinfection System.” The switch will take place during the week of October 22, 2007. This new system will be a more efficient and powerful antibacterial disinfectant with less chlorine taste and odor than the current system. The MIOX system (named for the “mixed oxidants” it generates) produces a liquid disinfection product at the Anderson Regional Joint Water System treatment plant which disinfects the drinking water.
What does this mean to the City of Anderson and the water consumers of Electric City Utilities? “It means that we will continue to provide the highest quality drinking water with a better taste,” said Jeff Caldwell, Electric City Utilities Director. “We will be able to maintain chlorine residuals throughout the system, and possibly reduce the amount of flushing currently performed which will conserve our water supply.”
During the switch from chlorine gas to MIOX, there will be a short period of time (estimated to be one-to-two weeks) where all of the current growth in our pipes will be eliminated. Customers may experience a slight discoloration in the water during this time, but the water will be safe to drink and use. This discoloration should clear up quickly by utilizing a short term flushing plan to help alleviate any problems.
This system is much safer to use than chlorine gas. In recent years, chlorine gas has been highly scrutinized due to the fact that it is highly toxic if released in a gaseous form and can be deadly to all forms of life. Chlorine gas is also monitored by the state and federal government due to its potential for use as a weapon of mass destruction. In addition to providing a safer community and environment, MIOX provides a higher water quality and, according to other systems that currently use MIOX, it also provides for a better tasting drinking water. At the same doses and contact times as conventional chlorine gas, mixed oxidants have been shown to achieve a more thorough and more rapid inactivation of a wider range of microorganisms than traditional methods of disinfection.
Mixed oxidants have also been proven very effective against the build-up of biological growth that forms inside of water system distribution pipes that can harbor harmful microorganisms. By eliminating biological growth, mixed oxidants remove a potential shelter for bacteria and other disease causing organisms in the drinking water supply. Overall, mixed oxidants provide the public with a better quality drinking water via superior microorganism inactivation and reduced formation of chlorinated by-products.
For more information about your drinking water, call Electric City Utilities at (864) 231-5230 or download the Consumer Confidence Report.