By Alexia Finney | Staff Writer
Students across campus noticed a stench coming from the water in their dorms and apartments this month. From Oct. 20 to Nov. 17, Waco is performing an annual routine water systems maintenance, leaving students confused as Waco’s tap water reeks.
Environmental Science professor Dr. Sascha Usenko said Waco temporarily switches its disinfectant from chlorine to free chlorine. Usenko said the weeks-long process is necessary for cleaning Waco’s distribution system.
“Every so often, we switch from using chloramine to free chlorine,” Usenko said. “It’s a standard process that keeps the system clean and prevents microbial buildup in the pipes.”
Usenko said the switch is comparable to how doctors rotate antibiotics to maintain treatable effectiveness.
“Think of it like rotating medications. When you take antibiotics, you don’t take the same one forever because bacteria could adapt,” Usenko said. “The same concept applies to water treatment. This keeps the disinfection process effective.”
Some students said they were unaware of the reason for the change and noticed a noticeable difference in the water.
San Antonio sophomore Ahvani Pant, who lives in University House, said she noticed changes in the smell of her water.
“It smells like chlorine all the time, like in the bathrooms,” Pant said. “It stains my hands too, after I use the sinks. When I’m washing my dishes, it’s definitely unpleasant.”
Pant said she was not aware of the city’s chlorine change until she realized it herself, and wasn’t aware of an announcement from Baylor or Waco.
“I had not been told about anything,” Pant said. “I just noticed it smelled more like chlorine. There hasn’t been a discussion about this at all.”
Long Island, N.Y., junior Derrick Bisaccio said at first he didn’t notice a change in smell from his house on Second Street.
“Now that you mention it, I’ve noticed a smell,” Bisaccio said. “But I didn’t think it was anything crazy.”
Other students, such as Raleigh, N.C., sophomore Oyinda Idowu, said they were concerned about the safety of the water.
“The water tastes chlorinated, and I don’t know if I’m drinking chemicals,” Idowu said. “I noticed two weeks ago. Baylor has not informed me about the chlorinated water I’ve been consuming.”
Usenko said these student reactions are common, but the change in taste or smell doesn’t mean the water is unsafe.
“When we make the switch, you might notice a slight change in taste or smell, a stronger chlorine scent, almost like a pool,” Usenko said. “That doesn’t mean the water quality has gone down. In fact, it’s a sign that the treatment is working.”
Usenko said to combat the bad taste and smell, students should use a carbon-based water filter.
“The chlorine odor can seem off-putting at first, especially for people who aren’t used to it, but it’s completely normal and temporary,” Usenko said. “After the system stabilizes, the taste goes back to what people expect.”
To minimize confusion, Usenko said Baylor should inform students about the water maintenance.
“The biggest challenge isn’t chemistry, it’s communication,” Usenko said. “When people taste something different in their water, they assume something’s wrong. In reality, it’s a carefully controlled maintenance step.”
While the science behind the change is routine, informing the public should be part of larger sustainability efforts from both Baylor and his department, according to Usenko.
“Public trust is a huge part of sustainability,” Usenko said. “We can have the cleanest, safest water in the world, but if people don’t understand what’s happening, they won’t feel confident drinking it.”
