Water Disinfectant Change Coming To Red Bank & Shrewsbury

RED BANK-SHREWSBURY, NJ — Some residents of Red Bank and Shrewsbury may notice a change in their water starting Feb. 16 as NJ American Water performs routine maintenance on its system, the company said.

As part of this annual maintenance, the company said it will shift from using chloramine to free chlorine at its Swimming River Water Treatment Plant in Colts Neck and its Jumping Brook Water Treatment Plant in Neptune as its disinfectant.

During the change, some people may notice a slight taste and smell of chlorine in their water, officials said. According to the company, this is normal and will only be temporary until the system maintenance is complete.

The temporary change in the water treatment process will remain in place until mid-April.

To reduce the taste of chlorine, officials said residents can place water in an uncovered glass container in the refrigerator overnight to dissipate chlorine faster.

"This periodic, scheduled change in disinfectant is a standard water treatment practice that allows us to continue to provide safe, high-quality water for our customers," said Andrea Castro, director of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance for New Jersey American Water.

"We perform this distribution system maintenance program every year as part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining high water quality throughout our distribution system,” Castro continued.

Throughout the maintenance period, NJ American Water will continue to monitor water quality in the system to provide water to customers that meets or surpasses federal and state drinking water standards, the company said.

To learn more, you can visit the NJ American Water website.