(KAIR)--Atchison water customers, for the next two weeks, may notice some discoloration or cloudiness in the water and possibly a slight chlorine odor or taste.

That's due to the City of Atchison, at the request of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, on Tuesday switching how it disinfects the water for approximately two weeks.

According to a release from Atchison City Manager Mark Westhoff, the move is made "to better enable the rural
water districts in Atchison County that are under a Boil Water Advisory to restore the appropriate chlorine residual levels."

That's a reference to the latest boil water advisory for Atchison County Rural Water District 5C, as KDHE, this week, issued a boil water advisory for the public water supply system, along with the purchasing systems of the County- City of Lancaster and, in Doniphan County, Doniphan County Rural Water District 3. There are, currently, no other locations affected.

Westhoff says as the City uses a stronger, faster acting disinfectant, City water users may want to run the water through the tap until it clears, with Westhoff saying the "water is safe to drink throughout this process."

Additionally, the City of Atchison will use the change as an "opportunity to perform other beneficial maintenance processes that are typically associated with the free chlorine burn process," including open fire hydrants throughout the city, and/or overflowing water storage towers, with Westhoff explaining that "the fire hydrants will be opened to allow flushing of the system to help remove sediment from the pipes and distribute the change in disinfectant" while "overflowing water storage towers further aid in the flushing process and help reduce nitrification."