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City of Corpus Christi takes steps to upgrade disinfecting process of water supply

Gabriel Ramirez, Interim Director of Water Utilities for the City said that the current chlorine gas system is something that dates back 41 years.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The City of Corpus Christi is undertaking a multi-million dollar project that aims to upgrade the process in which drinking water is disinfected.

The plant uses different chemicals to treat the water including chlorine, a hazardous gas.

The O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant in Calallen is where the City's drinking water comes from. But before the water ends up in your tap at home, it is first treated through a chlorine gas system. 

"What chlorine is used for is to get rid of any bacteria, parasites, viruses that could be in the water coming into the plant," said Gabriel Ramirez, Interim Director of Water Utilities for the City.

Local firefighters recently used the plant this month to train on how to deal with hazardous materials including chlorine. 

The facility gets a 90-ton railcar that comes in every month carrying a liquified chlorine that is turned into gas.  The new system will do away with that process. 

Due to safety concerns and anticipated future regulation challenges associated with the use of chlorine gas, Corpus Christi City Council recently approved a design contract to move forward to a new on-site generation system.

Ramirez said that the current chlorine system is something that dates back 41 years and needs to be modernized. 

"Operator friendly, safer for the public, technology needed, one of only 20 water treatment plants still using the railcar system," Ramirez said. 

He adds that with the council's approval the design phase will continue with construction stated for the next year without any disruption. 

"The good thing is no one should notice any difference," Ramirez said. "Now the water treatment plant will operate much more efficiently and much more safely."

The project is expected to be completed by 2025. 

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