Bend city officials are assuring residents that the city of Bend’s drinking water is safe amidst the chlorine shortage throughout the west.  The shortage was caused by an equipment failure at a chlorine manufacturing facility in Washington that supplies chlorine to the west coast.  City officials say Bend has dual water sources that are chlorinated – surface water and groundwater – that use chlorine gas and chlorine solution as a disinfectant, along with the city’s wastewater treatment plant.  Bend officials are currently working with other water utilities and state officials to acquire additional supplies of chlorine that the city may need, since the city’s current supplies will only last into August.  We’re all being asked to conserve.