Imagine asking for a glass of water, which turns out to be colored water. “Oh my goodness!” I assume that’s what you would say, right? Perhaps, worst than that. Some people might think that they were almost poisoned. No one, not even you, no matter the lectures you are given, would conveniently drink that kind of water.
At least, one would have an iota of doubt even though he decides to risk it. Or drinking bottled water and perceiving or tasting something your brain could not just pinpoint. That is how it is when we chlorinate our water.
Nevertheless, not everyone puts that large amount of chlorine in their water that could change its color, including municipalities. But having it at the back of the mind that something else had possessed one’s tap water or has pinned a taste to your water won’t, in any way, offer peace of mind, especially for those housing lads.
Chlorine has been found to disinfect water, slaughtering bacteria, viruses, germs, and other harmful microorganisms that could threaten or jeopardize our health. That’s why the chlorination of pools is to avoid different individual “Carriers” escorting you home. Moreover, if not chlorinated, it’s stale water and could accommodate many organisms seeking asylum on your body.
Meanwhile, chlorine being found consumable could also threaten the comfort of drinking tap water. A great number of people drink tap water, but not everyone is okay drinking odd-looking or tasting water. Perhaps, you might need to use water free from the captivity of chlorine. With this discomfort, we desire to provide you with a solution. All you need to know about dechlorinating tap water is here.
How to dechlorinate tap water for drinking?
Dechlorinating tap water simply means healing your water of chlorine. In other words, evicting any chlorine particles present in your tap water. There are proudly different ways to do this, which we will be looking at shortly, and what method is best and safe for drinking (tap) water.
Let’s get started!
Dechlorination by activated carbon
Decantation, a means of water separation, did better and had good grades until the filtration technique was discovered. To some extent, it has been the purest form of separation. But in our case, we expect water in its purest (free from chlorine) form.
How then do we achieve this with filters? “Activated Carbon-Filters” is the best “lawyer” to get chlorine to sign the divorce paper of its marriage with your tap water. Carbon-Filters are trained to remove organic compounds, chlorine, and chloramine from water. You can marry them to your tap water supply outside your home or use a pitcher with a built-in Carbon Filter.
You will get the same result if you invest in Reverse Osmosis Filters. The difference is that this type of water filter removes ions (including chlorine ions). This Reverse Osmosis Filter could be used as a barricade (not one) to cause a change in your tap water just before it enters your home. Underneath your sink is a better place for this “chlorine ambush.”
A few drawbacks
The Filters need to be changed frequently. Manufacturers should indicate instructions on how often this should be done.
The Reverse Osmosis method of filtration is quite expensive.
The Reverse Osmosis method is perfect if you don’t mind water-waste and energy-intensive. Otherwise, you’ll frown when your power bills give birth to children (that is, increase).
Does boiling water remove chlorine?
The volatility of chlorine makes it sublime upon encounter with heat. Subjecting your chlorine-containing water to a 20-minute consistent heat will excite the water bubbles and birth heat enough to make chlorine disappear (that’s, remove chlorine from your water).
This method also removes chloramine from water if present, especially in some municipal areas.
The drawback of the boiling process
It’s fuel-consuming, especially for a great quantity of water.
Exposing your water so chlorine could change state and evaporate after being heated for 20-minutes means losing some water particles.
UV Dechlorination
This is also one of the suitable methods to remove chlorine from your tap water.
Exposing your water to any available UV source at 254-nanometer wavelength and a radiant energy density of 600ml/cm² could eliminate chlorine from water at a moderate rate.
Disadvantage
Your water could get contaminated in the process.
Visible-Light-Sensitized Dechlorination
Another way to unmarry chlorine and water is to expose the water to sunlight and air. The problem with this marriage is that your water is the one always suffering – poor water!
Fetch the water (from your tap) you want to dechlorinate into a bucket or a tub. The shallow the bucket, the faster the process. Position it uncovered where dirt or dust is limited. If more sunlight heats the bowl, bucket, or tub, the chlorine will stylishly evacuate your water.
How then do you know if chlorine has completely evaporated from your water? A chlorine test kit would be helpful to check if chlorine still exists or not. The larger the amount or volume of water, the longer it takes for chlorine to leave.
DRAWBACKS
This process is unsuitable for drinking water as it may be contaminated at the end of the day.
It is also time-consuming, sun and container depth-dependent.
How does vitamin c neutralize chlorine?
Putting powdered ascorbic acid in water always wins the war against chlorine. It eliminates it.
Add one teaspoon of ascorbic acid to a gallon or 3.8 liters of water and mix or stir. The good news is that if this method is followed correctly, it might leave your water’s taste unaffected, and Vitamin C is affordable and available at your local stores.
DRAWBACKS
A little more than the ascorbic acid required might affect your water taste.
HOW TO SAFELY DECHLORINATE TAP WATER?
One of the reasons we dechlorinate tap water is to make it pure for drinking, fish rearing, or other practical aspects. (You cannot have the result you need for the chemical mixture if the instruction says, add 5mil of water, and then you add 5mil of chlorinated water. The presence of chlorine in the water might alter the end result.)
I’m sure among all these methods stated, you’re asking within you which is best and safe for drinking water.
To keep it straightforward, I’ll give you my list of the bests and safer methods for tap water dechlorination.
- Water Filters
It saves time and the level of water contamination (except if the filter is old or hasn’t been used for long, it must have been contaminated, thereby affecting the water that passes through it.)
- Boiling the water
This method is also safe for drinking, except its time and fuel-consuming. Also, it isn’t recommended for a great amount of water dechlorination.
- Ascorbic acid
If you do it well, your water taste might not be affected. It’s safe for drinking, and the result is ready in minutes.
QUESTION & ANSWER
IS BOTTLED WATER DECHLORINATED?
Most bottled water cannot be told to be chlorine-free except if it is tested. Nonetheless, be assured that bottled water must have undergone treatment (especially with chlorine) to make it safe for drinking.
IS CHLORINATED WATER SAFE FOR DRINKING?
Maybe or maybe not! It all depends on the amount of chlorine present in your water. Just so you know, if chlorine is excessively consumed, it can cause stomachache, vomiting, diarrhea, and itchy skin, among others.
Whereas the (United States) Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has limited the amount of chlorine used to disinfect water for safe human consumption. Even the municipalities are under this covering.
HOW MUCH OF CHLORINE IS SAFE IN DRINKING WATER?
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends 4ml per liter. There are unlikely to be any health effects if this measurement is maintained.
CONCLUSION
Chlorine has been used widely as a water disinfectant. It helps keep water, drinking water to be precise, safe for consumption and destroys every colony of bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms that prey on one’s health. Sometimes, things we want to prepare might disallow the presence of chlorine; how then do we tackle this? I’m sure you know the answer already. What else are you waiting for? To handle the chlorine in your tap water.
Hi, I’m Jana, author and interior design enthusiast. I understand that turning a house into a space that reflects you is no small feat. However, if you have the right information to start with, you can make the process much easier and simpler. That’s why I like putting together handy guides and articles on home design and decor subjects, that you might not have known you needed to learn about until you have to choose them for your home. If you want to learn about products on the living space design market in order to choose what befits your home, this is the right place for you.
