Chlorine & Odor
City water is treated with chlorine to keep it safe on the way to your home. But that doesn’t mean you need to drink, cook, or shower with it. Here’s what chlorine does to your water — and how to remove it.
Why Chlorine Is in Your Water — And Why You Don’t Need It at Home
Municipal water suppliers add chlorine (or chloramine) to disinfect your water supply — killing bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens as the water travels through miles of pipes to reach your home. It’s an important public health measure, and it works.
By the time water reaches your tap, it’s already done its job. But the chlorine doesn’t disappear — it arrives at your home at levels that, while within EPA safety limits, are high enough to affect how your water tastes, smells, and feels.
You don’t need chlorine protection inside your home. A whole-house carbon filtration system removes it at the point of entry — giving you clean, fresh water at every tap without any of the downsides.
- Chemical, bleach-like taste in drinking water
- Pool-like smell from the tap and in the shower
- Dry skin and irritated eyes after bathing
- Dry, brittle hair after washing
- Faded color in laundered clothing
- Affects taste of coffee, tea, and cooking
- Fresh, neutral-tasting drinking water
- No chemical odor at the tap or in the shower
- Softer, more comfortable skin after bathing
- Hair that feels healthier and more manageable
- Colors stay vibrant longer in the wash
- Coffee, tea, and food taste as they should
What About Chloramines?
Some water systems use chloramines — a combination of chlorine and ammonia — instead of plain chlorine. Chloramines last longer in the distribution system, which makes them useful for large water supplies.
The catch: chloramines are harder to remove than chlorine. Standard carbon filters that work well on chlorine are less effective on chloramines. A water test will tell us which disinfectant your system uses, so we can recommend the right filtration approach.
Chlorine vs. Chloramines
Both chlorine and chloramines affect the taste, smell, and feel of your water — but they require different treatment approaches.
The Byproduct Problem
Chlorine doesn’t just affect how your water tastes — it can react with organic matter in the water to form disinfection byproducts (DBPs) that have raised health concerns.
Trihalomethanes (THMs)
When chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic material in source water, it forms compounds called trihalomethanes. Long-term exposure to elevated THM levels has been associated with certain health concerns in studies. Municipal suppliers monitor THM levels, but filtration at home adds an extra layer of protection.
Skin & Hair Absorption
Chlorine isn’t just ingested — it’s absorbed through the skin during bathing and inhaled as steam in the shower. Hot showers open pores and increase absorption. A whole-house system removes chlorine before it ever reaches your shower, protecting your skin and hair with every wash.
Carbon Filtration — Clean Water at Every Tap
Activated carbon is the gold standard for chlorine removal. It works through adsorption — chlorine molecules bind to the carbon surface and are removed as water passes through.
EVBF Backwashing Filter
Our whole-house backwashing carbon filter tackles chlorine, tastes, odors, and other chemicals throughout every tap in your home. Periodic backwash keeps the media clean and effective for years.
Learn More →Reverse Osmosis
For the ultimate in drinking water quality, an RO system removes chlorine, chloramines, and a long list of other contaminants right at the kitchen tap.
Learn More →EVR Softener
If you also have hard water, the EVR softener includes built-in taste and odor reduction alongside its softening function — one system, two problems solved.
Learn More →Taste the Difference
A free water test will tell us exactly what’s in your water — chlorine, chloramines, hardness, and more. From there we’ll recommend the right filter for your home. No cost, no pressure.