The Water Services Corporation has reassured residents that the levels of chlorine in tap water are within safe limits after a Qormi man complained the water supplying his home tasted strongly of the chemical.  

Resident Adrian Zammit raised concerns after his 13-year-old son complained the water supplying their family home tasted strongly of chlorine, a chemical used to disinfect water.

When Zammit tested the mains water with a kit he uses to measure chlorine levels in his swimming pool, it appeared at an even higher concentration and had a stronger shade of yellow used to indicate the presence of the chemical.

He said it was not the first time this has happened, noting the issue had first appeared briefly a few months ago.

But a WSC spokesperson said when the company tested the water it was “well within the optimal range for disinfection and far below any threshold of concern” – while less than a quarter of the limit prescribed by the World Health Organisation. 

The spokesperson explained that Zammit’s water had been measured as containing 0.6 milligrams of chlorine per litre, significantly less than the 4.0 maximum set by the WHO, and that “even if the levels had been as high as 1.0 mg/L, it would still be entirely safe.”

He added that despite not receiving a report, the company had “promptly dispatched a team to investigate” after seeing a public Facebook post by Zammit about the issue.

The WSC says it is legally required to treat water with “very small amounts” of chlorine up to 1.0 mg/l, while swimming pools typically contain between 1.5 and 5.0 mg/l, according to the organisation’s website. 

The company said chlorine can sometimes be more noticeable and tastes like water in a swimming pool, however, it also depended on a residence’s distance to treatment plants, the temperature of the water and time of day.

In January, the government announced a €310 million decade-long investment in the country’s water infrastructure it said would standardise and improve the taste of tap water across the country.

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