Photo by John

If you experience a slight change in the taste and smell of your tap water next week, do not be alarmed. It’s just D.C. Water handling some yearly maintenance.

The city’s annual spring cleaning of drinking water pipes runs from March 7 through May 2 this year. During this time, the Washington Aqueduct, the organization responsible for treating and disinfecting the region’s drinking water, will switch disinfectants from chloramine to chlorine. This effort to improve water quality will take place in D.C., Arlington County, and a portion of Fairfax County.

To mitigate the unfavorable effects, local water authorities say that running cold tap water for about two minutes and refrigerating tap water should do the trick. Additionally, water filters are quite effective for reducing chlorine taste and odor, authorities say.

For more information or if you think there’s a bigger problem with your water, you can call D.C. Water at 202-612-3440.