How to Remove Chlorine From Drinking Water

Yes, boiling water for 15 minutes is one way to release chlorine from your tap water. But you'd have to boil for hours to remove the chloramine. And because dissolved air leaves water during the boiling process, the result is a "flat" taste when you're done. You could also let the water sit at room temperature to dissipate the chlorine. Chlorine gas weighs less than air and with time, will naturally evaporate off without boiling. But this process also leaves water tasting "flat".

On a day-to-day basis, boiling water (or waiting for the chlorine to evaporate out) for drinking water is generally not feasible.

It's much easier and effective to install a reverse osmosis water filtration system to remove chlorine from the water.

It's generally recommended to boil water for at least one minute at a rolling boil to purify it. However, if you're at higher altitudes (above 6,562 feet or 2,000 meters), you should boil the water for at least three minutes, as water boils at lower temperatures at higher elevations.

Keep in mind that boiling water doesn't remove chemicals like chlorine or chloramine.

Typically, if left exposed to air in an open container, chlorine will naturally dissipate within a few hours to a day. Boiling water for 15 minutes also helps to remove chlorine as it causes the chlorine to evaporate. But the quickest and most effective way to remove chlorine from drinking water is with activated carbon filters in a reverse osmosis drinking water system. An under-sink RO unit can effectively remove chlorine from tap water, providing clean and chlorine-free water for consumption.

If you're mostly concerned with Chloramine removal alone, you can take a different approach than that of chlorine. Because of chloramine's low molecular weight, it cannot be removed with a typical carbon filter, but rather with a catalytic carbon filter.

Certain filters are designed for chloramine removal (such as the Omnipure Q-Serioes 2.5" x 12" 1-Micron Carbon Block Filter w/ Chloramine Reduction (Q5629)) and can be paired with the appropriate housings also sold at espwaterproducts.com

If you have questions, our customer support team is happy to answer your questions.

In simple terms, chloramine is chlorine PLUS ammonia. Municipal water suppliers are now using chloramine even more than chlorine as a disinfectant chemical. One reason for the switch is due to concerns about the adverse effects of chlorination (see below). But the main reason for the switch is that chloramine as a disinfectant remains in the water longer during the distribution process.

To learn more about what's in your drinking water, you can access a report at Environmental Working Group (ewg.org). Simply input your zip code and you'll be able to see what contaminants are in your tap water, and specifically which contaminant levels exceed guidelines.

The fact that chloramine disinfectant remains in water longer than chlorine (during the pipeline distribution process) is a PLUS for municipal water suppliers. But the downside of chloramine's longevity is that chloramine is harder to remove with a water filter.

• • Chloramine must be removed before using a kidney dialysis machine as chloramine can enter the bloodstream through dialysis membranes
  • Chloramine can cause skin sensitivities and reactions
  • Chloramine can cause leaching of lead from lead soldering or lead pipes (learn more about lead poisoning)
  • Chloramine-treated water should not be used in fish tanks, as the chemical can harm fish
  • Chloramine causes strong bleach-like taste and odor (similar to chlorine) in drinking water