Miami Beach residents may notice their tap water tastes or smells like chlorine starting Monday, Sept. 21, when Miami-Dade County's Water and Sewer Department (WASD) temporarily switches its disinfection method for two weeks.

The change affects all roughly 10,000 water customers on the island, from single-family homes to hotels and schools. Miami Beach buys its drinking water wholesale from WASD, which pipes it from the Hialeah and John E. Preston Water Treatment Plants.

Annual chemical conversion

From Monday, Sept. 21, through Sunday, Oct. 4, WASD will replace its standard disinfectant, combined chlorine (chloramine), with free chlorine at its treatment plants. The department describes free chlorine as an effective method of cleansing water distribution systems.

WASD has performed this annual conversion for more than 30 years, partnering each year with the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County and the Miami-Dade Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources.

The department said in a July announcement that any chlorine taste or smell is "a temporary cosmetic issue that does not affect water quality."

What residents should know

WASD employees will flush water lines across the county during the two-week window. That flushing may cause brief drops in water pressure or cloudy water. If water appears cloudy, WASD advises running the tap for three to five minutes until it clears.

Two groups need to take extra steps:

• Dialysis patients should contact their doctor before the conversion begins.
• Tropical fish owners and restaurants or stores with fish holding tanks should consult aquarium maintenance professionals about adjusting their filtration.

Who to call

Residents with water quality questions can reach WASD's Laboratory Division at two numbers based on location:

• North of SW 8th Street: 786-552-4738
• South of SW 8th Street: 786-552-4181

All Miami Beach customers fall in the northern zone, served by the Hialeah and John E. Preston plants.

The conversion ends Sunday, Oct. 4, and WASD will return to chloramine disinfection after that date.