Are you wondering how to dechlorinate tap water? Most people trust their local water treatment facilities to provide them with drinkable tap water. And yes, it is true that water treatment facilities successfully eliminate dangerous contaminants found in tap water, such as bacteria, parasites, and other harmful microorganisms.
Water treatment facilities put chlorine in tap water to destroy these microorganisms. Unfortunately, the chlorine does not get filtered out of the water by the time it arrives at your house through your main water line.
Fortunately, there are numerous ways to dechlorinate tap water, such as:
- Activated Carbon Filter
- Boil the Water
- Dechlorination Tablets
- UV Light Treatment
- Reverse Osmosis
- Natural Evaporation
Consuming water with chlorine over a long period can cause you to develop certain health problems, such as gastrointestinal issues, skin irritation, difficulty breathing, coughing, abdominal pain, and more. This article will provide some effective ways to make tap water more safe.
Dechlorinate Your Tap Water to Keep It Pure
There is a clear incentive to remove the chlorine from tap water before drinking it. Dechlorinating your tap water will ensure it is purified and healthy for human consumption.
Here is an overview of the six best methods for getting chlorine out of your tap water.
Activated Carbon Filter
Activated carbon water filters use a carbon-rich material like charcoal to filter out contaminants from water. Charcoal is a very porous material that can catch all kinds of chemicals and impurities in its pores to filter them from the water, including chlorine, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds.
You can buy granular activated carbon water filters under the faucet or complete carbon-based water filtration systems to attach to your water line. Of course, the former is more affordable than the latter, but either one can do a great job at reducing or eliminating chlorine levels in your tap water.
Remember to replace your carbon-based filter cartridges based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. That way, you can ensure that your filter can continue to remove chlorine from your tap water as needed.
Boil the Water
One of the oldest water purification methods is boiling water. Although it does not remove contaminants like heavy metals and pesticides, boiling water does help remove chlorine and bacteria from water. The boiling heat causes the chlorine in the water to evaporate, which ultimately removes all active chlorine from the water.
Boiling your tap water is by far the cheapest dechlorination method. The two basic things you need are a heated stove and a pot of water. It should take no longer than 15 minutes to reach a boiling temperature that evaporates the chlorine from the water. Once you boil the water, you need to let it cool down before you drink it.
The downside is that it will take a long time to boil several gallons of dechlorinated drinking water if you want to produce a large supply.
Dechlorination Tablets
Dechlorination tablets consist of ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate, each being a different type of Vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is the most effective type of Vitamin C for removing chlorine from water. However, this method is generally used for pools and not for water consumption.
When you add a dechlorination tablet to tap water, the tablet neutralizes the chlorine until it is no longer an active compound. It is another fast and affordable dechlorination method used to remove chlorine from tap water.
Remember that dechlorination tablets only work well when purifying a stable water container. You cannot add tablets to your house’s water system because they don’t work like filtration systems. So, if you are planning to dechlorinate the tap water coming through a public utility line, then dechlorination tablets won’t work for it.
Related Article: How to Soften Pool Water
UV Light Treatment
Ultraviolet light can serve many purposes for people, such as reducing or eliminating the presence of chemical compounds in tap water. The process of eliminating these chemicals is known as “photolysis.” That means exposing your tap water to UV light will remove chlorine from it as well.
You can install a UV light water filter under an individual sink or on the main water line of the entire house. Some people prefer the UV light water filter for their kitchen sink if they only drink water from that water source. But if you want to bathe in chlorine-free water, you must install a UV light water filtration system for the whole house.
Reverse Osmosis
A reverse osmosis water filtration filter passes tap water through a semi-permeable membrane, which blocks contaminants like chlorine while only allowing pure water molecules to pass through it. You can purchase a reverse osmosis cartridge-based filter or a whole-house filtration system.
The best option is to install a reverse osmosis system to dechlorinate all the water running to the house, especially if your tap water has significantly high levels of chlorine in it. Cartridge-based filters are better for removing lower levels of chlorine from tap water.
Some reasons for not getting a reverse osmosis system are the higher cost and additional maintenance requirements. But if you can overcome those setbacks, then it is well worth it.
Natural Evaporation
If you are not in a hurry to dechlorinate your tap water, you may find the natural evaporation method to be the simplest and easiest dechlorination method. It is a completely free dechlorination method that does not require any technology or expense.
All you need to do is put your tap water in a pot or container and let it rest somewhere uncovered at room temperature for up to 48 hours. The chlorine gas in the tap water will naturally evaporate over these 48 hours. It may be one way to overcome the hassle of boiling large quantities of water if you are trying to produce several gallons of dechlorinated drinking water.
What you could do is boil the water that you want to drink immediately and then leave all the other water out in the open for 48 hours. Then, by the time you are ready to drink that water, it will have already dechlorinated naturally.
Conclusion
Your tap water may have traces of chlorine even if you don’t smell or taste anything strange. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you don’t drink tap water if the chlorine levels are over four parts per million, which is the equivalent of four drops of chlorine in a 10-gallon water container. Regularly consuming water with over four parts per million of chlorine could lead to long-term health issues.
Therefore, it is well worth spending a little extra time, effort, and expense in dechlorinating your water using one of the dechlorination methods outlined above. The best method for you will be based on your budget and how much water you regularly consume.