Chlorine additives have long been integrated into the city's water supply.
However, little attention was paid to the familiar penny taste in the Madison water until recently, when a few faulty well chlorinators failed to administer the proper dosage of chlorine in the drinking-water supply.
""In Madison I can smell a little chlorine, in the shower, for instance,"" said UW-Madison water quality specialist Jim Peterson. ""I consider that the smell of safety.""
Yet, the recent chlorine hiccup did not involve over-chlorinating water, but instead under-administering it. According to George Twigg, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's spokesperson, the issue Cieslewicz is concerned about is the number of chlorine-related failures in various city wells over the last year.
Twigg said the city does not necessarily need to chlorinate water but does for a reason—to keep the water supply safe.
""Although to the best of our knowledge there's never been a public health threat with any of these incidents, there's always the chance that a more serious instance could take place,"" Twigg said.
Jim Grande, Madison's water utility manager, conceded some chlorinators needed maintenance because irregular chlorine dosages were being administered. He said 24 wells exist in Madison, and chlorinators are present in each to regulate the overall water flow.
""We maintain levels of chlorine that ensure there's sufficient contact time to disable the virus and to kill the microbes,"" Grande said. ""And that's why it's really important to chlorinate the water.""
In all, seven of the 24 Madison wells provide water to UW-Madison and the surrounding student-laden areas. Grande said despite numerous wells lying underground in the university area, drinking-water problems are virtually nonexistent due to the presence of chlorine.
Peterson said for the most part, Madison's groundwater is safe enough to be distributed as is. Still, he said just because wells are located in one area does not mean they cannot provide water to an area miles from it.
Thus, the need for chlorine in water exists, he said.
""Most people, unless they had [been drinking] chlorinated water all the time, don't notice the difference,"" Peterson said.
And despite the mayor's ire toward the chlorine failures, Grande said it is a testament to how hard the water-utilities employees work to maintain a safe drinking-water supply. He said Madison has excellent water quality, especially compared to that of Milwaukee.
Still, Twigg said it is a matter of making routine check-ups on all the wells to truly ensure safety.
""The water supply is safe, in order to keep it that way we do need to see some improvements in the practices at the water utility,"" Twigg said. ""And that's really what the mayor is focused on doing.""
