Why is Chloramine Being Used?




WHY IS CHLORAMINE BEING USED?
1. TO REDUCE BYPRODUCTS OF CHLORINE
2. TO PROVIDE A RESIDUAL THAT WILL CARRY THE CHLORINE THROUGH THE LONGEST OF PAWC’s DISTRIBUTION LINES


BYPRODUCTS:
Drinking water is taken from surface or ground source waters (in our area that is the Yellow Breeches and Conodoguinet Creeks) and cleaned/treated with chlorine to remove viruses and bacteria and then sent to our homes via a delivery line.

When organic material from the source water encounters the chlorine, a chemical reaction occurs that results in what are called “byproducts”, unintended, often toxic, new compounds.

The USEPA has determined that the byproducts of chlorine including Haloacetic Acids and Trihalomethanes are suspected human carcinogens possibly responsible for causing bladder cancer. As a result, the EPA has required all drinking water treatment plants to reduce these byproducts by the year 2012. (This is known as the Stage 2 Disinfection ByProduct Rule)

The EPA has provided a ‘tool box’ of acceptable methods for companies to choose from, including 3 chemical and 3 non-chemical solutions. (EPA has not yet begun to regulate the byproducts of chloramines…See “Why is this a problem?” on the main menu)

Chemical – chorine dioxide, chloramines and ozone
Non-chemical – ultra-filtration and micro-filtration, reverse osmosis and UV light

CHLORAMINE IS THE CHEAPEST
All of the chemical alternatives create additional byproducts.
Chloramine creates byproducts 100 times more toxic than those of chlorine.
Chloramine is less effective in killing viruses and bacteria than chlorine.
Reasonable alternatives to meeting EPA ‘s Stage 2 Rule are available (See alternatives on the main menu)

RESIDUAL:
Because chlorine dissipates, more chlorine has to be fed into the line to have it in the water that reaches the house at the end of PAWC’s longest line. By binding the chlorine to ammonia, less chlorine can be used to keep the residual in the line to the last house.

HOWEVER, Chloramine is less effective in killing the viruses and bacteria than chlorine AND chloramines combine with material in the distribution line and create highly toxic byproducts that then come into our homes for us to drink.

SAFE AND EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES ARE AVAILABLE TO SOLVE BOTH THE BYPRODUCT AND THE RESIDUAL ISSUES WITHOUT ADDING AMMONIA OR OTHER HARMFUL CHEMICALS TO OUR WATER.