Protecting your water quality

Liberty is required to add very small and safe amounts of chlorine to your water to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.  This may mean that you encounter chlorine-type tastes and odors from time to time. Liberty carefully monitors the levels of chlorine added to the water to make sure your water is always safe to drink and use.  Even though the odor may be stronger when water is warmed up, it’s still perfectly safe to use. 

Why we use chlorine:

Microorganisms can be found in raw water from rivers, lakes and groundwater. While not all microorganisms are harmful to human health, there are some that may cause diseases in humans. These are called Pathogens. Chlorine is a highly efficient disinfectant that is added to the public water supply to kill those disease-causing pathogens and at the same time prevents them to grow on the walls of the water distribution system lines or reservoirs. For more information about drinking water chlorination click below:

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Reducing the smell or taste of chlorine:

If you find chlorine taste in the water objectionable, fill a container with water and store it in the refrigerator for drinking.  Leave the cap slightly loose and most of the chlorine smell should dissipate.You can also use a hand-held pitcher with an activated carbon filter to remove chlorine, or install a point-of-use water treatment device on a faucet for your cooking and drinking water.  If you plan to store water from these devices, treat the water as a food product, and use clean, airtight containers and refrigerate, as the water is no longer protected from bacteriological contamination.

Liberty has not detected lead in its treated water or source water.  However, lead can come from a customer’s plumbing and/or service line.  Lead can enter drinking water when the water comes in contact with plumbing materials such as lead solder, or when it comes in contact with faucets, valves, and other components made of brass. 

Liberty's water meets very stringent state and federal water quality standards.  Not only we test for chemicals that the federal and state government require – we test for much more. Standards for bottled water are far less stringent than the standards we meet. In studies done by independent organizations, some bottled water was not all that it had claimed to be. In fact, much of it comes from municipal water systems. Bottled water also creates a tremendous amount of plastic that must be dealt with. Then there is the issue of price. Bottled water can cost over 3,000 times more than Liberty tap water. We have them beat on quality, safety, and price!

No. High levels of toxic lead and phthalate chemicals are still present in many garden and yard water hoses today and these substances are not good for you or your pets.  There are hoses made with “drinking water safe or food grade” but they still could contain phthalates and microbial contaminants may accumulate after a hose sits unused.

Water from the hot water faucet should not be used for drinking or food or beverage preparation.  Hot water systems (tanks, boilers) contain metallic parts that corrode over time and contaminate the water.  Hot water is more corrosive than cold water and is more likely to contain unhealthy compounds.

Black particles can come from three common sources: a broken water filter, a degrading faucet washer or gasket, or a disintegrating black rubber flexible supply line hose (for a water heater, washing machine, or kitchen faucet, etc.)

Brown or orange particles are typically rust particles that have broken off the inside of your water pipes.  These particles are very hard, irregular in size and shape, and can be several different colors (including black).  Another common cause of brown or orange particles in the water is a broken water softener.  A water softener contains many small, round beads (or resin) for softening water.  The beads will be uniform in size, typically the size of fish eggs, and are brown or orange. Call your service agent for repairs.

If the water supply is causing the odor, you will experience the odor at every water faucet and it will be persistent. If the source of the odor is in your plumbing, you will experience the odor in only one or several, but not all, of the faucets. If the problem goes away after running the water for a few minutes, the cause is somewhere in your plumbing. Contact Liberty Utilities at 1-855-382-6508 if you suspect the public water supply is the problem.

When you detect an odor in your tap water, we recommend that you perform a glass test at the faucet where you detect the odor:

• Run the cold water tap for at least 30 seconds.
• Get a clean glass, then fill and rinse twice with cold tap water. Fill the glass and turn off the faucet.
• Step away from the sink (This eliminates the possibility of mistaking odors from your drain for odors in your water.)
• Smell the water in the glass and characterize the odor, if any.

Low pressure:

Click the button below to view some of the common causes of low water pressure.

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High pressure: 

High water pressure can sometimes depend on where you live in proximity to the source of the water supply entering your distribution system. The closer you are to the source, the higher your pressure may be.

Typically more common in hilly or high elevation areas, water must be pumped up to those higher areas, resulting in customers experiencing higher pressure at lower elevations (closer to the source).

Water pressure regulator valves help to regulate the pressure to a more uniformed level.

If you wish to lower your water pressure, you may need to replace or adjust your water pressure regulator valve. Please call a plumber to assist you.

• Run a cup of white vinegar through the coffee maker and the dishwasher rinse cycle every few months.
• Use a rinse aid in your dishwasher
• Soak showerheads and faucet aerators in white vinegar to loosen deposits
• Spray fixtures with lemon juice and wipe with a soft cloth
• Regularly flush your water heater
• Consult manufacturer recommendations for dishwashers, clothes washers, and coffee makers for use with hard water