BOYNTON BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — Boynton Beach residents may notice a slight change in the taste or smell of their tap water starting Thursday as the city begins a scheduled chlorine flush of its water distribution system.
The City of Boynton Beach Water Utility will perform free chlorination as their disinfection method from Thursday January 8th 2026 until Thursday January 29th 2026. The city performs this change as part of its scheduled preventive maintenance program which works to protect both water line integrity and the entire distribution network.
The city has implemented a temporary disinfection system which uses more powerful disinfection techniques than their standard annual process. The goal is to ensure potable water delivered to customers remains at a high quality level while helping to control bacterial growth within the pipes.
The water supply will produce a light chlorine smell which people can detect through their sense of smell and taste during the three-week treatment duration. The water supply will stay safe for consumption according to city officials who also stated that all federal and state water quality standards will remain in effect during the chlorination process.
The city provides customers with an easy method to handle their chlorine taste and smell problems. Placing an open container of drinking water in the refrigerator for several hours can allow the chlorine to dissipate naturally before consumption.
The short-term modification needs special monitoring for all residents and commercial operations. Home dialysis machine users and tropical fish aquarium owners and fish and shellfish holding tank managers at stores and restaurants need to consult professionals when chlorination takes place.
City officials explain that the process of eliminating chlorine from drinking water operates differently than the process of eliminating chloramine which serves as the standard disinfectant. The equipment needs adjustments to its operating parameters and filtration methods because of this short modification. Any such adjustments can be reversed once the utility returns to its normal disinfection process at the conclusion of the chlorine flush.
The city explained that this water treatment process follows standard procedures which water utilities perform regularly for preventive maintenance. The system needs to run at its highest capacity to maximize its operational time while reducing the number of water quality issues that occur.
The Water Utility will return to its standard disinfection process when maintenance ends in late January so all taste and odor effects from the chlorine flush should disappear.
People who need answers about their situation should reach out to the Water Quality Division when the office is open for help with their particular case.
