Two local citizens’ groups turned in petitions at Hannibal City Hall Friday, asking the city council to address the issue of how the city disinfects its drinking water.

The two-month petition drive by Hannibal/Ralls County Citizens for Safe Water and Hannibal 2 Oppose Chloramines culminated in the submission of around 1,200 signatures to the city clerk’s office Friday.

The groups would like the Hannibal City Council to pass an ordinance requiring the city to use what the groups believe would be a safer way to disinfect the city’s water than chloramines, which is a mixture of chlorine and ammonia.

If the council does not pass such an ordinance, the next step would be to take the ordinance to the voters in November.

The City Clerk’s office has 20 days to verify the signatures on the petition. Officially, they need 1,100 signatures to move forward. That’s ten percent of the registered voters in Hannibal.

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