How To Remove Chlorine From Tap Water
Our water is treated with an array of different elements to keep it safe and clean, but some of us may want to try and purify our water as much as we can. It’s common for our swimming pools to have very high levels of chlorine to disinfect the water to make it safe for swimming, but you may not know how much chlorine is in our tap water as well. 86% of US households consume water that contains chlorine or chloramines. While these chemicals aren’t directly harmful to your well-being like high concentrations of other elements can be, pure water is something a lot of us want access to.
What Is Chlorine?
Chlorine is in nature is a gaseous element, but in terms of water treatment and practical uses, Chlorine and Chloramine are disinfectants that are used very prominently in our water to treat and kill water-borne microorganisms like bacteria and viruses. Our local water treatment facilities add chlorine to our water when the water is cleaned and sanitized for public consumption. This disinfection process is necessary for many areas where water may be exposed or run through unsafe conditions. The addition of chlorine to our water has eradicated typhoid fever since the beginning of the 1900s.
The Negatives Of Water Chloritization
Although chlorine in our water is very much more beneficial than it is detrimental to our health, there are a few negatives to know about – one of them being DBPs. DBPs or “disinfection byproducts” are formed when chlorine in water reacts with organic substances that are naturally found in water. The number of byproducts formed depends on the amount of chlorine used and the time between the organic substances and the chlorine. In certain studies conducted, they have found that exposure to chlorinated water can result in an increased risk of cancer, but other conflicting studies refute those findings. It can be deduced that there are potential health risks, even if they’re somewhat vague or unknown at this time. The EPA has rulings in place to regulate the maximum amount of DPBs that can be present in our water to help curve the potential risk that these chemicals may be putting at – even if there is no total concrete data available.
Proper Chlorine Treatment
Two of the common ways to clear your water of high chlorine concentration are distillation and reverse osmosis. Distillation is where water is boiled and decondensed, but it is a very costly and inefficient process that is less popular. Culligan can help you filter out chlorine from your water with an at-home reverse osmosis water filtration system. Reverse osmosis is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method of water filtration that pushes water through a microscopically fine filter. The filter absorbs the molecules of chlorine and impurities and leaves the water free of any major contaminants. If you’re interested in reducing the number of impurities in your water, get started with Culligan and we’ll have your home on its way to the best-tasting water it can have!
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