Water quality guide London & Southwestern Ontario
Chlorine and Chloramine in Tap Water
Chlorine and chloramine are chemical disinfectants widely used in municipal water treatment to control bacteria and maintain water safety as it travels to homes. While effective for disinfection, many homeowners notice a change in taste, odor, and how water feels when used for drinking, bathing, and everyday household activities.
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Understanding how these disinfectants behave in household water systems can help determine whether additional filtration is right for your home.
Municipal water treatment
Why municipal water contains chlorine and chloramine
Municipal water systems add disinfectants to control harmful microorganisms as water travels through large distribution networks. Chlorine has been used for decades because it acts quickly and is easy to measure. Chloramine, a compound formed by combining chlorine with ammonia, is increasingly used because it remains stable for longer distances and reduces the need for frequent re-chlorination.
Both disinfectants are approved for municipal use, but their chemical properties mean they can behave differently once water reaches household plumbing systems.
Chloramine at a glance
Chloramine is a water disinfectant made by combining chlorine with ammonia. It is more chemically stable than chlorine, so it remains in water longer as it travels through the pipes to your home.
- Made from
- Chlorine + ammonia
- Why cities use it
- Stays stable over longer distances
- Municipal use
- Approved, like chlorine
- At your tap
- Harder to filter than chlorine
Chlorine vs. chloramine
What’s the difference between chlorine and chloramine?
While often discussed together, chlorine and chloramine are not the same.
Used for decades
Chlorine
- Acts quickly as a disinfectant
- Can dissipate faster once water enters the home
- Often responsible for strong taste or odor
Chlorine + ammonia
Chloramine
- More chemically stable
- Remains in water longer throughout distribution systems
- More difficult to reduce without specialized filtration media
Because chloramine is more persistent, not all filtration systems address it effectively. Regular carbon only partly removes chloramines; catalytically enhanced carbon is made for them.
Treated water
Disinfection byproducts in treated water
Disinfection byproducts are compounds that form when a disinfectant reacts with other material in the water. One group is trihalomethanes, or THMs, which form when chlorine reacts with organic matter in the water.
The chlorine used to treat the water, and its byproducts, may impact odor and flavor. Chlorine has protected our drinking water for a century, and researchers continue to study the compounds it forms.
Read what Global News and USA TODAY have reported, on our chlorine filter pageWhat you may notice
Common household effects of chlorine and chloramine
Homeowners may notice the presence of chlorine or chloramine through everyday use rather than testing alone.
Common experiences include:
- TasteChemical or swimming-pool-like taste in tap water
- OdorOdor noticeable at sinks or showers
- SkinDry or irritated skin after bathing
- HairHair feeling dry or brittle
- LatherReduced soap and shampoo lather
- Hot waterStrong smell when using hot water
These effects are often more noticeable in showers, laundry, and dishwashing than in cold drinking water.
Curious what is in your own tap water? The free in-home water test checks chlorine and taste, and it costs nothing.
Book My Free Water TestWhole-home filtration
Reducing chlorine and chloramine in the home
Whole-home filtration systems designed for chlorine and chloramine reduction treat water as it enters the home. By addressing disinfectants at the source, these systems help improve water quality for bathing, cleaning, laundry, and everyday household use.
Many homeowners choose to pair whole-home filtration with a dedicated drinking water system for additional refinement at the kitchen sink.
Our whole-home system
Whole-home chlorine & chloramine reduction system
Designed to reduce chlorine, chloramines, and common taste and odor concerns, this whole-home filtration system uses catalytically enhanced carbon media to treat water at the point of entry. The result is more consistent water quality throughout the home.
See the chlorine filterQuestions
Questions about chlorine and chloramine
What is chloramine?
Chloramine is a compound formed by combining chlorine with ammonia. Municipal water systems use it as a disinfectant because it remains stable for longer distances and reduces the need for frequent re-chlorination as water travels to homes.
Is chlorine or chloramine in tap water safe?
Both disinfectants are approved for municipal use. They are added to control bacteria and maintain water safety as water travels to homes, and homes in London rely on municipal water that meets safety standards. What many homeowners notice is a change in taste, odor, and how water feels when used for drinking, bathing, and everyday household activities.
Why does my tap water smell like a swimming pool?
A chemical or swimming-pool-like taste or odor is one of the common signs of chlorine or chloramine in tap water, and chlorine is often responsible for strong taste or odor. It is often more noticeable in showers and when using hot water than in cold drinking water.
Does chloramine go away on its own?
Not as readily as chlorine. Chlorine can dissipate faster once water enters the home, while chloramine is more chemically stable and remains in water longer. That is why chloramine is more difficult to reduce without specialized filtration media.
How do you remove chlorine and chloramine from tap water?
Not all filtration systems address chloramine effectively. Our whole-home chlorine and chloramine system uses catalytically enhanced carbon media to treat water at the point of entry, which helps improve water quality for bathing, cleaning, laundry, and everyday household use, not only at the kitchen sink. See our whole-home chlorine and chloramine filter.
How can I find out what is in my tap water?
Many homeowners notice chlorine or chloramine through everyday use first, as taste or odor. The free in-home water test checks chlorine and taste, and it takes about 30 minutes for most homes.
Free in-home water test
Find out what is in your tap water
Not sure which system is right for your home? A professional water test allows us to assess your water and recommend the most effective solution.
What the water test checks
- Chlorine and taste
- Hardness (calcium and magnesium)
- Total dissolved solids
- Staining and scale
About 30 minutes for most homes. No charge, no obligation, and you keep the results either way.
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