Photo by ericgbrown.

Spring has arrived, and with it comes the time when Washington’s water supply smells slightly like chlorine. It’s time yet again to clean out the city’s pipes — today, D.C. Water switches its disinfectant from chloramine to chlorine. This year’s chlorine treatment, which occurs every spring before the temperatures begin to warm up, will continue through May 2.

The switch is part of a routine maintenance program by the Washington Aqueduct, the organization run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that is responsible for treating drinking water for the District of Columbia, Arlington County and Falls Church. The program does have a tangible effect on the odor and taste of the water, and there are many different things that can have an effect on the bleach-like odor, like how old your pipes are and how much water you use. If the scent really gets to you, D.C. Water recommends running your cold water taps for two minutes before drinking or refrigerating drinking water in an open pitcher.

On the plus side, this year’s chlorine program is much shorter than 2010’s. Last year’s chlorine treatment began in February and lasted about three and a half months due to the Corps’ conclusion that there was a lot more bacteria that needed to be removed from the supply. Hopefully we won’t be reading as many emails from readers wondering why they smell like a pool after taking a shower — if you think there’s a wider problem with your water, you can always call the water authority at 202-612-3440 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) or 202-612-3400 (24-hour).