Line Chlorination
Disinfection of new or repaired water mains and service lines to AWWA C651 so the line can be sampled, cleared and put into service.
Quick answer
Before a new or repaired water main can carry drinking water, it has to be disinfected — chlorinated, held, flushed, and then sampled to prove it is clean. We chlorinate lines to the AWWA C651 standard, flush them, and coordinate the bacteriological samples the utility or FDEP needs to release the line.
Credentials on every report
- Certified backflow tester#7337
- Drinking water operatorDW #A20193
- Wastewater operatorWW #A16614
What you get.
Every time.
The price is quoted before the visit. The person who quotes it is the person who shows up, and the certification number on the paperwork is his. If it is not the right service for you, you hear that on the phone.
- 1Chlorination to AWWA C651
- 2Flushing and dechlorination of discharge
- 3Coordinated with bac-T sampling and clearance
New water mains, extensions, and mains that were opened for a repair all have to be disinfected before they go into service. The standard is AWWA C651. In practice that means introducing chlorine to a target concentration, holding it for the required contact time, flushing it out, and then taking bacteriological samples that come back clean before the utility or FDEP signs off.
This is operator work, not plumbing work, and it is the part of a job that holds up a contractor's schedule when it is done wrong. A line that fails its samples has to be rechlorinated and resampled, and every round adds days. Doing the chlorination correctly the first time is the whole value.
Tavish holds Florida drinking water and wastewater operator licenses (DW #A20193, WW #A16614). That is the background this work needs — the chemistry, the contact times, the discharge rules for chlorinated water, and the paperwork the clearance depends on.
Who this is for: site contractors, utility contractors, and developers with a new main or service line waiting on clearance. Who it is not for: a homeowner with a discolored-water problem. That is a flushing question for your utility, not a chlorination job.
Line Chlorination — FAQ
What is line chlorination?
Disinfecting a new or repaired water line by introducing chlorine to a set concentration, holding it for the required contact time, then flushing it. It is required before a main can carry drinking water, and it is followed by bacteriological sampling to prove the line is clean.
How long does chlorination and clearance take?
The chlorine contact time is typically 24 hours under AWWA C651, then flushing, then sampling. Lab results on the samples add more time. Plan on several days from chlorination to clearance, and longer if a sample fails and the line has to be redone.
Do you handle the sampling too?
Yes — see Bacteriological Sampling Clearance. Chlorination and sampling are two halves of the same clearance, and it is simpler for the contractor when one person is accountable for both.
What do you need from the contractor?
Access to the line, the plans or a sketch showing its length and diameter, the injection and flushing points, and who at the utility or FDEP is receiving the clearance. Tell us the schedule you are trying to hit and we will tell you whether it is realistic.
Holding a notice? Call the tester.
Read us the notice. We tell you who it says should do the test, what it costs if that is us, and — if your city already tests for you — that you do not need us at all.