(Monroe, LA) The City of Monroe Water System monitors the disinfectant residual in the distribution system on a daily basis. This measurement tells us whether we are effectively disinfecting the water supply. The disinfectant residual is the amount of chlorine or chloramines in the distribution system. Chlorine and chloramines are common disinfectants used by water suppliers to kill bacteria in drinking water; therefore, if the disinfectant residual is too low, microorganisms can potentially grow in the distribution piping. To provide the most effective disinfection process, the City of Monroe Water System is making a temporary change in the type of disinfectant used in the water supply. It is typical for water systems that use chloramines to temporarily change to chlorine in order to clean water pipes and provide a reliable disinfectant residual throughout all points in the distribution system. Free chlorine is proven to be more effective in killing organisms within the pipes of the distribution system.