If you turn on your tap water, do you notice a lingering chlorine scent or taste? It can be alarming to notice this smell in your water, but it’s a product of the treatment processes that water goes through before it arrives at your home. Many municipal water treatment facilities use chlorine to treat and disinfect water and make sure that bacteria don’t flourish as the water travels to your home. However, it is not without unpleasant side effects and potential health risks. If you want to get rid of the chlorine taste in your water, here’s what you need to know.
Why Is Chlorine Used to Treat Water?
Adding chlorine to water is also known as chlorination. Water treatment facilities do this to get rid of viruses, parasites and bacteria that might be present in the drinking water. In small quantities or low levels, chlorine is not inherently harmful. However, it can lead to a chlorine taste in your water or a lingering scent, and people who are more sensitive to it can notice it immediately. When levels of chlorine in your water are elevated, you can also notice it when you normally would not. Chlorine levels up to 4 milligrams per liter are considered to be safe in drinking water, but the level that you are comfortable with might be significantly lower.
How Do You Know That You Have Hard Water?
Many people realize that they have hard water by noticing the effects of it, like chalky staining on their plumbing fixtures or soap scum on your bathtub. The best way to know whether or not you have hard water is by having testing performed by Atlantic Blue Water Center. We will show you the exact hardness level of your water and give you a measure known as grains per gallon (GPG) to see how high the mineral content is. Ratings between 1-7 GPG indicate moderately hard water and ratings over 10 GPG indicate very hard water. If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance that you noticed the effects of hard water firsthand on your skin.
What Are the Negative Effects of Chlorine in Drinking Water?
Chlorine is still a chemical, which means that it can lead to health effects in the long-term or with certain exposure amounts. Some of the effects of consuming too much chlorine or having dangerous levels of chlorine in your drinking water include:
- Food Allergies: There are chemical compounds inside of chlorine known as dichlorophenols, which can lead to food allergies in some individuals.
- Asthma Symptoms: Chlorine can make asthma symptoms worse and lead to respiratory issues. Chest pain, sleeping problems, shortness of breath and wheezing can all start or worsen as a result of chlorine exposure.
- Rectal and Bladder Cancer: Byproducts that occur in the drinking water supply due to chlorination can lead to an increase of your risk for bladder or rectal cancer. While the link between chlorine and cancer risk is low, that doesn’t mean that everyone will want to take it.
- Poor Smell and Taste: While a chlorine taste in your water might not take away from its quality, it can make the water less appetizing and make your family less interested in drinking enough water. A bad smell and odor can make things that you once enjoyed much less enjoyable.
- Congenital Abnormalities: Other byproducts of chlorination can have negative effects on pregnant women or women who are trying to conceive. Children can be impacted by high levels of chlorine, and this can lead to birth abnormalities including poor brain development, cleft palates or ventricular septal defects.
How Can You Get Rid of a Chlorine Taste in Your Water?
Atlantic Blue Water Center helps clients just like you who want to remove chlorine from their water. The only way to know for certain whether there is chlorine in your water is through water testing. We can test your home water supply so that you know exactly what is present. Once you get your testing results, we will help you determine what type of filtration solution could remove the chlorine taste and odor from your water. Our water treatment and filtration solution can remove chlorine and other chemicals from your water so that it tastes clean and fresh around the clock.
Because chlorine can impact you when you drink it or through your skin, sometimes whole house systems are the best solution. We want to make sure that you stress less about the water inside of your home and feel confident that your family is not consuming negative chemicals or contaminants. If you are ready to start the process today, contact Atlantic Blue Water Center for water testing and to get started protecting your water today. We work with homeowners, business owners and anyone else looking to get rid of a chlorine taste in your water.
Make Sure That Your Home Water Supply Is Safe to Drink with Atlantic Blue Water Center
We provide water treatment and water softening solutions for homeowners that want a cleaner water supply and water that is free from hazardous carcinogens that can contribute to increased cancer risk. We’re also focused on providing additional education on water treatment, water quality, and issues associated with water contaminants. Call us at (410) 751-9200 to schedule your in-home water testing appointment today.