Q. Why is the Macon Municipal Utilities converting from free chlorine to chloramines?
A. In order to continue to comply with federal and state regulations limiting disinfection by-products (DBPs) such as trihalomethanes (THMs).
Q. What are trihalomethanes?
A. Trihalomethanes are a by-product of chlorine combined with naturally occurring organic matter in water. Chloramines react slowly and do not combine with organic matter to create disinfection by-products.
Q. What are Chloramines?
A. Chloramines are a disinfectant formed when free chlorine is combined with ammonia. Chloramines are not new and have been used as an effective means of disinfection for many years. Depending upon the relative amounts of chlorine and ammonia, three kinds of chloramines may be formed: Monochloramine, Dichloramine, and Trichloramine. The City of Macon will provide water containing Monochloramine.
Q. What are the effects of chloramines on people?
A. Chloramines are not a health hazard to the general public. However, they can be a serious problem to kidney dialysis patients unless the chloramine residual is removed in the water used for the dialysate fluid. (The same is true for chlorine)
Removal is achieved with activated carbon filtration or ascorbic acid treatment prior to the use of water.
Q. What are the effects of chloramines on fish?
A. Both chlorine and chloramines are toxic to fish. In fact chloramines are less toxic to fish than free chlorine. However, due to the fact that chloramines are more stable and persist longer than free chlorine, particular care must be taken to assure removal.
Q. How can chloramines be removed from the water?
A. As mentioned earlier, chloramines can be removed with activated carbon filtration or ascorbic acid addition. The carbon filter must be large enough to perform the removal. A dechlorinating reagent such as ascorbic acid may be purchased under a variety of brand names at supply stores. Allowing water to stand for long periods of time which will work with free chlorine removal WILL NOT WORK WITH CHLORAMINE REMOVAL. If the fish are sensitive to free ammonia, chemicals may be purchased for ammonia removal.
Q. Will the use of chloramines cause complaints due to taste and odors?
A. Based upon studies and experience of systems that currently use chloramines the amount of taste and odor complaints were reduced with the switch to chloramines.
Q. Will home water units remove chloramines?
A. This will depend upon the unit design. For units based on carbon filtration, large units that fit under the sink may work. Faucet mounted units will almost certainly not. There is no need to remove chloramines from drinking water as they are safe for the general public to consume.
Q. What are the effects of chloramines on swimming pools?
A. The effect will be very minor. When first filled, care should be taken to measure the correct residual.
Sincerely,
Roger Rector
Manager of Gas, Water, and Wastewater