Treatment plants use chlorine and chloramines to eradicate harmful pathogens such as Salmonella and norovirus that are notorious for causing diseases. And as much as these plants will use the recommended amount, these chemical compounds leave the water with an unpleasant taste and bleach-like smell.
If you are among the 82% of Americans who drink municipal water, be sure that what flows through your faucets contains chlorine. Luckily, we are going to discuss how to dechlorinate tap water extensively, helping you find the best way to enjoy safer hydration.
But first…
What You Need to Know About Chlorine
Chlorine is a chemical that remains in a gaseous state when at room temperature. It is highly reactive and has an irritating odor, which is why many are keen to take chlorine out of drinking water. Furthermore, it is used as a decontaminant in treatment plants and is a major ingredient in household cleaning products.
Also, it is used in sanitation procedures for industrial waste, and manufacturing companies use it to bleach clothes and paper.
Additionally, it has proved to be an effective way to remove iron from well water. During this process, otherwise known as shock chlorination, high concentrations of the chemical are introduced into the well - not just into the water but also into the pipes, walls, and pumps. Doing so kills the bacteria that have bonded with the iron, allowing you to easily get rid of the iron using softeners and sediment cartridges.
Health Risks that are Associated With Chlorine
Exposure to chlorine, whether in liquid or gaseous form, comes with associated health risks that include:
Breathing Difficulties
Breathing complications may immediately arise if you inhale high quantities of chlorine. Even with lower concentrations, there is a likelihood of experiencing delayed shortness of breath.
Other associated complications that might result from chlorine exposure include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, nausea, and vomiting.
Skin irritation
If your skin comes into contact with low quantities of chlorine, you might experience irritations. Higher quantities might burn the skin.
So, if you often shower in chlorinated H2O, you are exposing your skin to harm. For people with particularly sensitive skin, understanding how to remove chlorine in tap water comes in handy.
Blurred Vision
Chlorine is known to irritate the eyes and, in some cases, cause blurred vision. In case of such exposure, it's vital that you flush your eyes and seek medical attention.
Pulmonary Edema
This is a life-threatening condition that results from exposure to high quantities of chlorine, characterized by water in the lungs. It develops a couple of hours after exposure, which is why doctors recommend seeking immediate medical attention after inhalation.
How to Remove Chlorine from Water
Considering the health risks mentioned above, it's vital that you learn how to remove chlorine in drinking water. While there are various tactics to use, a filter for water is the best solution to ensure only clean water flows through your faucets.
So, how do you remove chlorine from tap water?
By boiling
Boiling has been a conventional way of killing viruses and other illness-causing pathogens. It is also an effective way to get rid of chlorine in tap water, whereby it turns the chemical into gas which escapes into the air.
While it may also eliminate microorganisms, boiling will not do away with chloramines, heavy metals, fluoride, and a host of other toxins. Also, it is not a practical solution when purifying large amounts of water. As such, its popularity has significantly gone down, with many opting for better treatment solutions such as the use of filters.
Evaporation
Did you know that leaving chlorinated water exposed overnight is another way to make water chlorine free? Since chlorine is in a gaseous state at room temperature, it will easily evaporate away. However, just like boiling, this strategy will not do away with other harmful contaminants.
Chemical neutralization
This is another not-so-popular method to remove chlorine in water. Potassium metabisulfite is one such chemical that is added to water and rids it off any chemicals used in the decontamination process at treatment plants. After a few minutes, the chemical will also evaporate, leaving you with water that doesn’t taste like bleach.
However, this is a less popular choice as not so many people are open to adding chemicals as a decontamination strategy.
UV Light
Many think that UV light was primarily designed to kill bacteria. Well, as much as the system does a remarkable job at eliminating 99% of pathogens, many filtration experts say that it can also effectively remove chlorine from the water we drink.
Besides, these systems can be used in applications where there is a need to eradicate high amounts of chlorine. However, these are the only contaminants it can eliminate and should be used in conjunction with other purification systems for optimal results.
GAC Water Filters
GAC Water Filters are made from organic materials such as coconut shells, wood, and coal that are high in carbon. They have excellent adsorption capabilities and are known to eliminate various dissolved chemicals.
Particularly, these cartridges will get rid of chemicals and gases that alter the taste of water and cause foul smells. They will filter chlorine out of water, eliminate hydrogen sulfide that’s responsible for the rotten-egg smell and also get rid of volatile and semi-volatile compounds.
Carbon Water Filter
Unlike GAC filters whose carbon particles are loosely held, this cartridge is made from compressed carbon. Since it’s in block form, water has a tougher time going through. This allows the water to have prolonged contact with the carbon, resulting in more effective contaminant removal.
For these reasons, using a carbon cartridge is a surefire way to filter out chlorine from tap water. And that’s not all. Carbon cartridges will not only do away with chloramines but will also trap various chemicals, some heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, debris, and a host of other pollutants.
Conclusion
As you can already tell, carbon filtration systems are the best solutions for chlorine removal from water. The purification system will not only take the chlorine out of tap water but also do away with chloramines and other chemicals that cause unpleasant smells and tastes.
But to ensure your family hydrates healthily without the risk of contracting life-threatening illnesses like cholera, consider investing in a reverse osmosis (RO) system.
An RO system sits atop the best ways to eliminate the various chemicals treatment plants leverage in their decontamination procedures as well as other pollutants. The unit passes water through multiple filtration stages, with sediment cartridges eliminating particles, carbon cartridges getting rid of chlorine and chemicals, and a semi-permeable membrane that removes totally dissolved substances, heavy metals, harmful chemicals, and illness-causing micro-organisms.
Do you still want to know more about how to remove chlorine from water?
Filterway can help!
We are purification experts, with in-depth experience in filtration systems. We can help you find the perfect whole-house solution to help you access chlorine-free water throughout your home.
Our online store is also packed with a host of quality carbon, KDF, and mineral replacement cartridges. We also sell genuine refrigerator cartridges to ensure the contents that you dispense from your fridge are safe for consumption.
Contact us today for more information.
