Aqua's water treatment ensure water safe to drink

Drinking Water Week took place May 3-9 and Aqua Ohio, in partnership with the American Water Works Association, reminds customers their water is safe to drink during the COVID-19 pandemic. As stay-at-home orders continue, and grocers and communities deal with bottled water shortages and purchase limits, Aqua's water treatment procedures ensure the company's water is safe to drink, meeting all Ohio state and federal safety requirements.According to Aqua's Chief Environmental, Safety and Sustainability Officer, Chris Crockett, said there are three major messages they are sending to customers: "Our water is safe; What not to flush down your drains; and Business flushing after a shut down.""Though scientists are still researching the specifics about the spread of COVID-19, Aqua Ohio's standard business operations include treatment procedures that remove or inactivate viruses, including COVID-19, from water supplies and sources," Crockett said.The water treatment process starts at the source, Crockett said.Most of the water Aqua providers comes from a ground well or a larger water source such as a river, stream or lake. The water treatment process starts through sedimentation flocculation, which removes bigger particles from the water and adds chlorine. Next, the water runs through a filtration system, similar to picking up sand at a beach and having it run through your hands. Once the water goes through this process, there is an extended period of time where it sits in contact with chlorine and on some occasions, ultraviolet light, which is disinfection similar to the sun.Once the water has been in contact with chlorine, usually for multiple hours, it is then distributed to storage tanks or water towers, which transports to customers through pipes and pumps. Consumers should know that Aqua's water has chlorine present all the way to the tap and the company is constantly monitoring distribution systems, including around homes and business, to see that chlorine is detected."Our water treatment process is what kills the viruses and we have found that a virus like COVID-19 is not resistant to our treatment and infiltration," Crockett said. "Compared with other viruses, we have seen that this virus is very weak when it comes in contact with our processes."Crockett said many people are rushing to purchase bottled water, but that's unnecessary because Aqua's treatment procedures remove or inactivate viruses, including COVID-19."We want to remind local customers to drink and use water from the tap. Simply put, you're putting yourself a greater risk by leaving the house to go to the grocery store to get bottled water than you are drinking from the tap, which is completely safe," he said.Aqua is monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak, and they continue to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities to address the situation and evaluate operational response plans, Crockett said.Crockett said Aqua Ohio has a very detailed water treatment process and filtration that water goes through before it is distributed to homes and businesses."For more than 100 years, Aqua has studied and treated different types of viruses through treatment processes; we monitor drinking water 24/7, down to the minutes and seconds of every day," Crockett said.As more and more residents are working from home, and many stores are sold out of toilet paper, it's important to remember sanitizing wipes, flushable wipes, paper towels and tissues should not be disposed of down the toilet, Crockett said."Consumers should also keep sinks and drains clear of fat, oil and grease to prevent clogs," Crockett said.Aqua has tips to help keep pipes clear of clogs:* Never pour cooking grease down sink drains or into toilets.* If homeowners have leftover cooking grease, carefully pour the warm, not hot, grease into a metal can, wait for it to cool, and dispose of it in the trash.* Keep strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids.*Scrape food scraps and grease into a trash can.On businesses reopening, Crockett said it's important to know that stagnant water can produce undesirable tastes or odors when the building is re-opened and water use is returned to normal. Extended periods of inactivity can also cause lead leaching or legionella growth, he said.Aqua Ohio recommends that the building plumbing, including water heaters, be thoroughly flushed before reopening for normal use by flushing all cold water lines first followed by hot water lines.* Faucets and Showers: Run for approximately 10 minutes total (cold lines first, then hot lines)* Toilets: Flush several times to ensure fresh water moves through piping* Other Plumbing Appliances/Equipment: Flush thoroughly to bring fresh water into the system. Run water until you can smell the chlorine in the waterAqua is working with customers who are facing financial hardship due to COVID-19, and asks that any customer in need call Aqua customer service at (877) 987-2782.To stay up to date, Aqua Ohio customers can sign up for WaterSmart Alerts via phone, email and/or text, by visiting http://AquaAmerica.com.For non-aqua customers, the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency are also both good sources of information and have worked together to create the website: http://coronavirus.ohio.gov